"If you ask me The Welcome Wagon (with..." more

"If you ask me The Welcome Wagon (with the help of Sufjan Stevens) does Sufjan Stevens better than Sufjan Stevens does himself. Tender, uplifting, and featuring all the bells and whistles and female choirs. But the songs hold more significance than Sufjan's generally do... adding more religious subtext and urgency. Highly recommended." less

"Catchy, syrupy indie rock... that wil..." more

"Catchy, syrupy indie rock... that will have you singing lyrics about sucking blood and fucking around before you know it. Anita Robinson's guitar tones are ridiculously satisfying and it is obvious she knows how to use her instrument." less

"The opening track starts off slow and..." more

"The opening track starts off slow and quiet... but it builds into a spine-tingling chorus. From there on out it is alternative rock, driven by Michael Pritzl's timeless voice. While there are hints of U2 in what they do, the music is much more alternative than U2 ever were, and refuse to recycle the same dreck that U2 has made a living of doing." less

"I feel inadequate to talk about The T..." more

"I feel inadequate to talk about The Twilight Singers. The lead guy's prior band was The Afghan Whigs, which are seminal in their own right. The Twilight Singers is practically a solo outing for him. His voice rests upon the loud guitars, raising into falsetto as needed. The songs are great as the turn into each other. There is a powerful energy present that I can't wholly explain... but it is worth checking out." less

"Play this sucker loud. One of the lou..." more

"Play this sucker loud. One of the loudest live bands on Earth. It's rock, it's stoned, it worships Black Sabbath without being Black Sabbath, it is, in a word, a treat. The lead singer's voice is great and really carries the band through their heavy riffage. Seriously, you gotta see (and feel) these guys live to believe it." less

"Thurston Moore strips down his Sonic ..." more

"Thurston Moore strips down his Sonic Youth standard into a more relaxed and (largely) acoustic setting. The results are great and are reminiscent of the success that Ian Mackay had with The Evens. While the vocals are largely just Thurson, he does get some refreshingly NOT Kim Gordon female vocals to accomapny him. There are a few throw-away tracks, but by and large this is essential for the Sonic Youth fan." less

"The second of companion albums releas..." more

"The second of companion albums released in 2005, Hypnotize gets the nod for having several of my favorite SoaD songs. However, Mesmerize is just as good of an album and it was like picking between children to only put one on my list. System of a Down is, hands down, the most creative of the popular mainstream metal/hard rock acts. Their songs feature great songwriting and great creativity. That they dress up both in more of a brutal exterior is actually icing on the cake. Serj's voice is distinct and powerful. It's a pity the majority of their fanbase is mindless numetal trash." less

"Few artists are as appealing to me as..." more

"Few artists are as appealing to me as Annie Clark (aka, St. Vincent). First of all, she is among the most beautiful women in music. Second her indie pop/alternarock songs are fabulous. She's creative, knows a good pop tune, and doesn't mind getting down and dirty with some darker sounds. Yet for how incredibly built up her tunes are, they tend to be equally effective when stripped down to just her voice and her guitar." less

"Even though Scaterd Few has received ..." more

"Even though Scaterd Few has received better and more accolades than Allen Aguirre's other band Spy Glass Blue, it is SGB that I think really excels. It is dark and gothic, while maintaining the typical Aguirre crooning. I remember listening to this as a teenager and just loving the darkly psychedelic quality of the music." less

"Soulwax isn't an electronic artist, b..." more

"Soulwax isn't an electronic artist, but Nite Versions is an electronic remix of their Any Minute Now release. Rather than being completely unessential (like most remix albums), Nite Versions rises to the top of not just the Soulwax catalog, but of the electronica genre as a whole. The album flows together like a dream, breaks between songs obvious when intentionally noticed, but in the context of a listen don't intrude making the whole listen a singular experience. While one might think this would get boring, it someone remains engaging throughout. Highly recommended." less

"It is lucky that the most recent Soni..." more

"It is lucky that the most recent Sonic Youth album is amazing, because it is the only real studio album available on emusic. And it would be a cryin' shame to leave my favorite artist off of this list. The Eternal is the best SY album since Murray Street. Kim Gordon has never sounded better, and the songs rip along with a nice flow lacking from their more recent albums. While not my favorite SY project, it is the most exciting release they've had in a while. (Although, really, I love ALL of their cds... god, I'm such a fanboy...)" less

"The beginning track for Desperate Str..." more

"The beginning track for Desperate Straights is a surreal song about hats. It is musically lovely, with nice prancing piano. The nonsensical lyrics just add to the allure. While the album flow sometimes leaves a lot to be desired, the individual song quality cannot be denied." less

"Great alternative rock with a slight ..." more

"Great alternative rock with a slight hip-hop flair. While it definitely sounds like the 90s, I'd argue that that might just be better than '00s. Just great songs, great execution... and track number 1, "Original", makes frequent appearances on various mixtapes i make." less

"I've basically stuck to albums I've h..." more

"I've basically stuck to albums I've had for a while for this list, but this album good enough to warrant inclusion. Ridiculously catchy pop songs that have indie and rock value to really bring things together. While apparently a lot of the songs have been licensed for commercials, this album SHOULD avoid Moby syndrome by actually being GOOD. Her voice kind of has a MIA quality to it, though it is definitely more serious than MIA can be." less

"This might be my most influential alb..." more

"This might be my most influential album. Prior to pick this up used at CD Warehouse I was into some good music, yes, but it was still fairly standard stuff. But when "Constantinople" started coming through my headphones I realized THIS was what I was looking for. Ever since my quest has been to find crazy, avant-garde music that I could have never previously imagined. Perhaps an exercise in chasing the dragon, but perhaps not. The songs are simple, demented, dark, and unlike anything you've heard before. To make it better, each and every album by The Residents is different. They've evolved greatly over the years." less

"While their other two albums are a bi..." more

"While their other two albums are a bit disappointing, Stowaway is a thing of beauty. It is technical yet creative yet catchy... the only album I've encountered that could be considered "math rock" that doesn't sound like a freakin' robot performed it. Definitely not for everyone, but will reveal itself to be worthwhile to those who give it a chance." less

"For those into music left of the beat..." more

"For those into music left of the beaten path, The New Sound of Numbers is a fantastic find. The closest comparison I can think of is a way out of print French release from Guigou Chenevier, the way the music lurches and has a Steve Reich pulsating quality to it. It is weird, yes. But it does it without being lazy." less

"I always vacillate as to which of Man..." more

"I always vacillate as to which of Man Man's three albums are either my favorite or their best (which are not necessarily synonymous). With their most recent CD not being on eMusic at least I'm down to two here. At this point, I'll say their first album is my pick. It is less disjointed as the follow-up... though doesn't have as many high points. But their faux-Tom Waits/Frank Zappa/Residents madness is kept from mimicry by being much more tribal than the other artists... providing one of the best live shows I've seen." less

"When I listened to this album it floo..." more

"When I listened to this album it floored me. Still does, honestly. The guitar work is both technical and illogical. The stuff they do shouldn't come together this well. But it does, anchored by the meandering lead vocals. In a way the whole album is a frantic mess... but it never derails. I saw these guys live, and somehow they pull everything off live. Jaw-dropping." less

"Finally Woken, Jem's first album, has..." more

"Finally Woken, Jem's first album, has some of the sweetest indie-pop songs put to tape. (Only Miss Angie might have some better ones). The opening track, "They", always puts me in a trance. The vocal work is layered and ethereal. The backing music is textured and knows when to flourish and when to take a back seat. Some of the later tracks are weaker, but by-and-large a stellar debut album. (Sadly her follow-up lacks the same spark.)" less

"While this album wasn't my introducti..." more

"While this album wasn't my introduction to Gomez, I still consider it my virgin experience. As a technical virgin prior to this album, I was immediately drawn by the how the band wrote these sweet rock songs that were catchy... and most importantly they paid attention to the little details that allow a song to flourish and become something special. On "Notice", the first track, it starts off like a normal song. However about 1/3 of the way through the song they start introducing little clanging taps after some of the lines. Totally unexpected and really makes the song special. This CD topped my best-of list that year, among great competition." less

"I've never understood the hate people..." more

"I've never understood the hate people who toward this album. On a message board in the last year or two we (individually) compiled our top 100 albums of all time. It took me forever to do, but when the dust cleared Rehearsing My Choir came out in the #1 spot, above such favorite artists as Sonic Youth and The Residents (each who got at least 5 albums on the list). For someone with my background in loving avant-garde music and Steve Reich-esque classical, this album is a dream... not to mention being sentimental enough to love the fact that they got their grandmother to do spoken word about her life on the album. From the opening pounding of the keyboard through the dizzying maze of repetition and storytelling, the whole thing is brilliant and WORTHY of being my favorite album. Ever." less

"Unfortunately my favorite Extol album..." more

"Unfortunately my favorite Extol album (Burial) isn't on eMusic, so this one will have to suffice. During my metalhead teen years, Extol was always one of my favorite bands. This album mixes their technical brutality with classical instruments like violins, etc. The result is uneven, if you ask me. But for many fans this is their favorite album. So who am I to judge?" less

"Forget Fugazi. Overrated, they are. I..." more

"Forget Fugazi. Overrated, they are. It is Ian Mackay's side project, The Evens, that is where people should be focused. A duo (Mackay with a chick) with him on acoustic guitar and her on drums, their voices intertwine and weave on top of bare-bones accompaniment. It is one of those projects that becomes way more than the sum of its parts. The songs flow by magically due to the fantastic songwriting and execution. A+ album." less

"Super-sexified rock n roll with a sto..." more

"Super-sexified rock n roll with a stoner edge. Saw them live and they rocked the house. While Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) is the A-List member, it is the lead vocalist who makes the band who they are. His falsetto drifts over the stoned out guitar riffs like a savior, singing his songs of lust and passion... usually with a high creepiness factor." less

"I saw these guys live a year or two a..." more

"I saw these guys live a year or two ago and they blew me away. They bring together several elements that I love... interesting, crazy guitar work (which there is great interplay with live especially), great female back-up vocals, and just a general visionary essence. Whether or not this is their masterpiece is too early to say... but suffice it to say I think it is brilliant. Unlike their prior albums (which are also worthwhile from what I've heard) this does a great job of bringing their live strengths together for a full music album." less

"The Danielson Famile and I have a con..." more

"The Danielson Famile and I have a convoluted relationship. In my early-to-mid teens they scared the bejeezus outta me. But despite that there was something about them that I mentally marked as being something different and impressive. Then as I started getting into more avant-garde music, The Danielson Famile suddenly clicked. The closest comparison would be Daniel Johnston, though The Famile have a catchy aspect to them not too far removed from Sufjan Stevens." less

"Despite some well-known band members,..." more

"Despite some well-known band members, Cush is one of the only "supergroups" where it doesn't matter at all who is in the band. The CD is a masterpiece without knowing who is involved. Every moment of the album just feels epic. From the drawn out intro to (finally) the moment of vocals entering the mix. It just feels perfect. The more mellow alternative stuff generally annoys the crap out of me. But this CD is a beautiful exception." less

"This was my introduction to Cursive. ..." more

"This was my introduction to Cursive. They are one of those bands that feel like they are telling a story in addition to making music. However, unlike most storytelling artists you don't feel like the music gets toned down at all in the process. The Ugly Organ is discordant, yet knows how to tone it down. There is space in the songs. Their followup album was also great, though none of their other material has grabbed me quite as intensely." less

"All of CoCoRosie's stuff is great, bu..." more

"All of CoCoRosie's stuff is great, but this one gets the nod here for having the bombastic "Japan" on it. I love the way they sing, and the creepy-yet-innocent aura. They might come as close as anyone in being bringing about the various aspects I love in music. It is catchy-- they've got great pop sensibility. It is weird. It's got great vocal interplays. It has that indie freedom." less

"Because of one feel-good single Chumb..." more

"Because of one feel-good single Chumbawamba has been viewed by music as a whole as being a flash-in-the-pan one hit wonder. But they've released a large number of CDs, a lot of them quite good. This isn't the best one, but at this point it is the only one on emusic that I have. (Something that will change soon.) I love what Chumbawamba does with their vocals. Great male/female interplay going on. Epic songs." less

"Blanche is music you might discover p..." more

"Blanche is music you might discover playing in an old saloon. It is a picture fostered by the image the band portrays. Thankfully Blanche backs-up their image by writing really good songs. The duo female/male vocalists play very well off of each other. The songs are sweet and sound nostalgic without relying on nostalgia to be effective. Very nicely done." less

"I heard this album compared to Fugazi..." more

"I heard this album compared to Fugazi (usually accompanied by the terms "rip off" or "Fugazi did it better"), but I've never really heard the comparison. But I may be basing that solely off the fact that I think Isolated Incident is brilliant and I've never really liked Fugazi. The basics are simple: largely shouted vocals over punk rock cum hardcore riffage. But the songs just go great directions, as I find myself bobbing my head and getting engaged with the music." less

"Ballydowse is one of those artists th..." more

"Ballydowse is one of those artists that I've been a fan of since I was in my early teens. Looking at them objectively is probably impossible. Although they only released two albums (only one of which is on emusic), both will be permanent fixtures on my iPod. They play Celtic-influenced punk rock. It sounds drunken (without them being intoxicated), it sounds passionate, and it is the only CD that I can think of that has totally ruined a genre of music for me. I've tried other bands who mix rock music with the Irish sound, and none of them live up to the expectations I have from Ballydowse." less

"I'm kind of embarrassed that I was dr..." more

"I'm kind of embarrassed that I was drawn to this album less because of the sound and more because I loved the band name and the cover. In fact, the 80s synth was an immediate turn-off for me. However, last year someone posted a link to the music video for the 10+ minute epic "Moments In Love". The video was fantastic and surreal and I pulled the album out again. This time it clicked. A masterpiece of era." less

"This was my introduction to Andrew Bi..." more

"This was my introduction to Andrew Bird. I randomly stumbled upon this album at Barnes and Noble. Had never heard of him before, but liked what I heard. It starts off with whistling and continues with great whimsical songs performed on either an acoustic or non-distorted electric guitar. There is an innocence to it that is really appealing. To my mind this is the best Andrew Bird as later efforts feel forced and like he's trying to prove something. Earlier efforts just don't have the same feel at all. So while I love this album dearly, I really only consider myself a mild Andrew Bird fan at best." less