Modest Mouse, "Tundra/Desert" Before what I consider their breakthrough, The Lonesome Crowded West, Modest Mouse was making jagged, interesting music that sometimes was too much of a mess to really be great. But, I have to say, the older I get, the...
Dis, "I'm Not Sagan" The Historically Troubled Third Album is a really fantastic album name. Aretha Franklin, "Save Me" I'm often at a loss for words when we have some of the all-time greats come up on...
Japandroids, "The House That Heaven Built" Everything about Celebration Rock is just unabashedly turned up to 11. It was impossible for me to not be absolutely charmed to death by it. It was deliberately written to be full of songs that would be...
Calexico, "Fake Fur" The Black Light is the album where Calexico became CALEXICO. The dusty desert aesthetic was in full flower on this album. The recording is soaked in reverb, there's tons of space for the atmosphere, and it's...
Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Hell of a Hat" Let's Face It is the album that broke through for the Bosstones, but I think their previous record (Question the Answers) is easily their best. The songwriting is both sharper and rougher, which suits...
