My Pick Album #2: Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons Paint That Shit Gold [Hip Hop, Alt Hip Hop] 2008

This was the first album I heard from the group Atmosphere.  I saw the music video for the track Guarantees and fell in love.  I don't know how many times I have listened to this album, but its safe to say that it is probably too much.  I like this style of hip hop where its smart, not all about how good you are at rhyming or what you are doing at the club.  Each song is a look into someone's life, sometimes his own, sometimes a child, sometimes a single mother.  It really shows the struggles people go through on a daily basis.  Slug is great at creating lyrics that convey that story and really paint a picture.  Ant makes some really great beats in this that are very different than a lot of other stuff out there.  I got really into this group for a while this year, but have still missed what a lot consider to be their best album "Lucy Ford" which is on my list much later on.  I can't wait to come that one.


Favorite track: In Her Music Box or Guarantees
Spotify: Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold - Standard Edition
If you like this, then try these: Blackalicious – A2G EP, Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass

Album #10: Okkervil River - The Stage Names [Indie Rock] 2007

I had no idea what to expect going into this one.  The name was a little strange, the album art was a little strange, but I really like the music.  This type of music is one of those that I always enjoyed, but never really listened to for some reason.  I loved the song Plus Ones.  You Can't Hold The Hand of a Rock and Roll Man is a close second.  I like the folk sounding rock bands a lot, and this is no exception.  I am not really sure what else to say about this one, other than I think people should give this one a chance.

Favorite track: Plus Ones
Spotify: Okkervil River – The Stage Names
If you like this, then try these: Bright Eyes – Cassadaga (not my favorite Bright Eyes album, but the most like this)

Album #9: Modest Mouse - This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About [Alt Rock, Indie Rock] 1996

Another Modest Mouse Album.  Had I thought this through a little more I wouldn't have randomized the list of albums just so that this didn't happen.  This album blended in with The Lonesome and Crowded West, but I think that it just because I listened to them so closely to each other.  The one track that did stand out to me was Lounge.  I liked the guitar riff and bass groove combo a lot.  The vocal style of that track is cleaner than usual, but still very much Modest Mouse which I like.  The fact that the bad switched up instruments to record Dog Paddle is pretty cool.  Overall this album is pretty depressing to me.  I know that is what it is supposed to be, but I just feel bummed after listening to it.  And that's saying something since I really like "emo" styled music.  I was reminded a lot of Arcade Fire listening to this though and I didn't really get that from Lonesome.

Favorite track: Lounge
Spotify: Modest Mouse – This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About
If you like this, then try these: Arcade Fire – Funeral

Album #8: Beatles - Abbey Road [Rock] 1969

One of the classic albums of all time.  I had heard this one before, but really wanted to sit down and just listen to it. There are so many classic songs off of this album so I'm just going to talk about the few that really struck me for some reason or another.  Maxwell's Silver Hammer is one of those songs that I never really got.  It doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album and after doing some research, I found out it was supposed to be but on the White Album, but was pushed off due to time constraints.  Octopus's Garden is another fun one as it is one of the few songs written by Ringo.  The Side A/Side B transition is really interesting to me.  Side A ends with She's So Heavy building up to a very powerful feeling to a sudden cut leaving you feel very uneasy.  When Side B starts up with Here Comes the Sun, its almost as if they are trying to bring you out of the depression they just put you in.  Carry That Weight is another really solid track that I feel really belongs in this album (and no other). 

Favorite track: Come Together
Spotify: Too bad Spotify is dumb with The Beatles and all the fun copyrights.
If you like this, then try these: Any other Beatles Album, just pick one.

Album #7: Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West [Indie Rock] 1997

The extent of my listening to Modest Mouse is Float On, so I was excited to hear something from the band but earlier in there career.  As with a few albums on this list, this is not what I was expecting.  I went in expecting something a little poppier, but got garage indie rock at its core.  I wish I could have heard this album back when it was released and watch this band evolve.  They have a very cool sound to them and I feel like I should listen the other later albums to see where they took this sound (besides Float On).  Shit Luck had to have been my favorite track off of the album.  The simplistic lyrics and driving rhythm are things that I love in songs and I felt like that would have fit perfectly in the sound track to Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

Favorite track: Shit Luck
Spotify: Modest Mouse – The Lonesome Crowded West
If you like this, then try these: Various Artists – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Album #6: The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico [Psychedelic Rock, Alt Rock] 1967

Velvet Underground is one of those bands that I have always heard of, but for some reason I had never listened to.   This was a bit different than I was expecting.  Surprisingly this is a very relaxing album.  I found myself just getting into a groove listening and just sitting back.  I do have to say though, that I didn't really like Nico in there.  I did however really connect with the track Heroin.  That track will stick around on some playlists for a while.

Favorite track: Heroin
Spotify: The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary
If you like this, then try these: The Clash – Combat Rock

My Pick Album #1: La Dispute - Wildlife [Post-hardcore, Prog Rock, Spoken Word] 2011

La Dispute is a post hardcore band from Grand Rapids Michigan.  The lyrics are more poetry than lyrics and are sung with so much emotion that you can feel the music throughout your body.  To this day (having heard this album 50+ times) I still get chills and goosebumps several times throughout this album.  According to the band this album is"a collection of unpublished "short stories" from a hypothetical author, complete with the author’s notes and sectioned thematically by the use of four monologues."  The stories in this album are gut wrenching and make you really see people in life altering situations, whether they deal with them positively or negatively, from different points of view.  The best example of this is the song King Park.  In this a drive by shooting takes the life of an innocent bystander, a young child, and looks that the situation from the points of view of the police, neighbors, family members, and the shooter.  It really gives you every side of the story and builds to an insanely powerful ending showing raw human emotion.  This style of music and writing may not be for everyone, but I want you guys to give it a chance.  If you can't listen to the music for one reason or another I think you should at least read through the lyrics of this album.

This is one of the most moving albums I have ever heard.  I would actually love to see a short filmed with this album as the narration/dialog.  A hardcore opera of sorts.  With the right filming it could be one of the most emotion tearing videos ever made.

Give this one a chance, and let me know what you guys think in the comments below.  Is it as moving as I think it is?  Does it not hit the same notes with you?

And if you have heard this album before, try hearing them live and the passion they have while performing these songs:

Favorite track: Safer In The Forest/Love Song For Poor Michigan
Spotify: La Dispute – Wildlife
If you like this, then try these: MeWithoutYou – Catch For Us The Foxes, La Dispute – Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair