punk

231. RAMONES (self-titled)

I've been meaning to feature this 1976 debut record by the punk rock pioneers but just hadn't gotten around to it. However, with the recent death of music executive Seymour Stein (who signed The Ramones among many other seminal acts to his Sire Records label) I figured now is as

indie

230. THE TOWN THAT CURSED YOUR NAME by The Reds, Pinks and Purples

The Reds, Pinks and Purples is basically a vessel through which San Francisco singer-songwriter Glenn Donaldson gets his music out these days. He's been part of several past and present bands, continuously evolving his music and his art. This 2023 record is a short spin, clocking in at around 33

indie rock

229. FROM NOTHING TO A LITTLE BIT MORE by The Lathums

This 2023 sophomore release from Manchester, UK band The Lathums epitomizes what one would consider indie rock with some jingle jangle guitars thrown in for good measure. I haven't yet had a chance to listen to their debut record, though after listening to this one on and off over the

indie rock

228. CUTS AND BRUISES by Inhaler

This foursome out of Dublin are just out with this 2023 record, their sophomore effort. Their trajectory has been exponential even with just two albums under their belts. Maybe this has to do with heartthrob lead singer / rhythm guitarist Elijah Hewson's lineage (his dad is Paul Hewson, aka Bono) or

rock

227. DON'T SAY NO by Billy Squier

Rocker Billy Squier had the good fortune of releasing his 2nd record in 1981, a few months prior to MTV debuting on the airwaves. His radio-friendly, guitar-oriented tracks along with accompanying videos getting heavy airplay on MTV turned out to be a combination made in heaven. This album generated no

pop rock

226. BEING FUNNY IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE by The 1975

Believe it or not, the only song I had heard by this British band prior to listening to this 2022 record was off their 2013 debut. Somehow the band never clicked with me and, so, I ended up skipping their subsequent output - up until now. After seeing this album

alternative

225. LIFES RICH PAGEANT by R.E.M.

Released in 1986, this fourth record by alternative rock band R.E.M (previously covered here) served as somewhat of a transition from their strictly college rock leanings to something more accessible by a wider audience. Lead singer Michael Stipe continues with his cryptic lyrics, but this time they are

indie rock

224. GULP! by Sports Team

This 2022 sophomore effort from the UK's indie rock darlings Sports Team does more for me than their debut. I think there's more maturity and control in their writing and playing and, overall, less chaos than the first record. Additionally, the one thing that's guaranteed to pique my interest when

223. My Favorite Records of 2022

Just a quick note before we get to the records - I've gone all in on Mastodon for my social media presence and have put my Twitter account on pause for the foreseeable future. So, if you'd like to follow me hit me up at https://mstdn.social/@auditorymusings Now,

power pop

222. THE LOST ALBUM by The Smithereens

This 2022 record of pretty much all new material from The Smithereens (previously covered here) comes to us by way of 1993. Wait, what? Well, it turns out that when the band was in between record companies back then, they had decided to make an album on their own. So,

pop rock

221. RUMOURS by Fleetwood Mac

It seems almost cliche to cover this 1977 breakout record by mixed British / American band Fleetwood Mac (previously covered here), but on the heels of keyboardist / singer / songwriter Christine McVie's death I felt like I needed to. Granted there's not much I can say about this album that hasn't been

rock

220. BOSTON (self-titled)

The best fade-in of the classic rock era? That's kind of what I think of the opening track from Boston's 1976 debut. If you're familiar with this song the second you hear the subdued guitar picking sliding in from your car radio's speakers you are guaranteed to get a smile

industrial rock

219. PRETTY HATE MACHINE by Nine Inch Nails

When this industrial rock with synth pop inflections (or is it the other way around?) record came out in 1989 I was a freshman in college. I remember when my friend got the CD (that's Compact Disc for the young 'uns) I was immediately struck by the cover art -

rhythm and blues

218. THE HONEYDRIPPERS, VOL. 1 (self-titled)

This 1984 EP of covers was a side project for Led Zeppelin (previously covered here) frontman Robert Plant as a sort of tribute to 1950s rhythm and blues tunes. Though he started the Honeydrippers band in 1981, this album was recorded in 1984 with a different lineup, including his former

art rock

217. COUNTRY LIFE by Roxy Music

1974 brought us Roxy Music's fourth record, one of their finest. (The music, the music, I'm talking about the music.) Up to and including Country Life, this British art rock / glam rock band, lead by the ever debonair Bryan Ferry, were known for their album openers - and this one

dream pop

216. STAY PROUD OF ME by NoSo

This 2022 debut record by Abby Hwong deals with themes of gender identity and coming of age. Their moniker, NoSo, refers to the relentless question of which Korea they are originally from (North or South). Much of the album is guitar-oriented with an air of dream pop that reminds me

alternative

215. SIAMESE DREAM by Smashing Pumpkins

For a short time during late 1992 and early 1993, Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan (previously discussed here) and producer Butch Vig (who had a hand in Nirvana's Nevermind) created a wall of sound in the form of this 1993 record rivaling that of renowned producer Phil Spector's work in the

folk rock

214. BUSTED STUFF by Dave Matthews Band

I never was a huge fan of jam bands. The Grateful Dead? Never listened to any of their records from beginning to end and have never been to a show. Phish? Meh. But, there was a time in the mid to late 90's and early aughts that I used to

synth

213. SOUVENIRS by Pale Blue Eyes

When the name of your band is the same as an excellent song by The Velvet Underground, you've already got big shoes to fill. And fill they do with this just released 2022 debut from the English trio. If you're a fan of bands like Joy Division, New Order, OMD

indie pop

212. 22 MAKE by Oh Wonder

I previously covered the debut record by this English indie pop duo here. Since that debut, they've released four additional albums, this being the latest. The significance of this record is that it serves as a follow-up to 22 Break (released in late 2021), which is their self-professed break-up album.

power pop

211. WELCOME INTERSTATE MANAGERS by Fountains of Wayne

Ever since Adam Schlesinger, co-founding member and co-songwriter for Fountains of Wayne, succumbed to COVID-19 early on in the pandemic I've been wanting to feature this 2003 record. This album was the third out of what ended up being a total of five put out by FofW, so it essentially

alternative

210. HOT FUSS by The Killers

This 2004 debut album by the Las Vegas natives catapulted them to superstardom on the heels of multiple hit singles and positive critical reviews. The combination of alternative rock vibes mixed with synth heavy grooves gave the record a sound unlike anything else at the time. Couple that with lead

power pop

209. GREEN ALBUM by Weezer

Let me preface this by saying that I don't listen to much Weezer anymore. In fact, the only record of theirs I can stand to listen to is this 2001 self-titled one. (Side note - quite a few of their albums are self-titled and go by the color of the

new wave

208. HEARTBEAT CITY by The Cars

Having been on a bit of a new wave binge lately, I thought I'd feature The Cars again. About six years after releasing a near perfect debut record, Heartbeat City landed in 1984 and was pretty much the same thing - almost perfect. I was in 8th grade when the

pop rock

207. FACE VALUE by Phil Collins

Uttering the name 'Phil Collins' can bring many things to mind - cringe, that drum break, The Alamo, Genesis, No Jacket Required, movie soundtracks, Motown, etc. It's undeniable that Collins was everywhere during a period of time, especially the 80's. Today, Collins is either reviled or revered - I fall