10. Incubus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E.
Incubus had been my favorite band for such a long time, that even though th
ey are no longer so, I had to give respect where it is due. I have listened to S.C.I.E.N.C.E., Make Yourself, and Morning View over one hundred times each, and enjoyed each album for how different it was from the last. But this album (the best they've produced in my book) was groundbreaking in my life, I hadn't really listened to an album in its entirety until this. I love listening to this CD and thinking about what could have been if the guys continued to make tracks like this... 9. Lydia - Illuminate
Illuminate may be one of the most unknown great albums out, I remember stumbling upon this group and being instantly drawn in by the ambient sound, and when Illuminate was released, I was completely enamored. While it's difficult to put such a new album in a list of 'all time favorites', I hadn't listened to anything as much as this for such a long time. My favorite song changed so many times, that nearly each track took its turn at the top. There are very few days when I don't listen to at least one song from Illuminate.
8. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
I could probably i
nclude 5 Radiohead albums in my top 10 list, and how I finally landed on the 2 here still makes me want to reconsider. While I don't believe Hail to the Thief is one of their best, it's always been one I love to listen to over and over. I spent hours reading the lyrics and meanings to tracks such as; 2+2=5, There, There, Go to Sleep, and A Wolf at the Door. I was amazed at the little hidden references throughout this album. There isn't much these guys put out that doesn't blow me away, but there was something about Hail to the Thief that really captivated me.7. Radiohead - Kid A
Kid A, unlike Hail to the Thief, is one of the best albums created in my lifetime in my opinion. It is one of the mo
st complete and cohesive pieces of work I've ever heard. This album was one of the first to really blow me away, and does so to this day. When I heard a quote by Thom Yorke about Kid A, he said "Something traumatic is happening in Kid A, and this is looking back at it, trying to piece together what has happened." And I hear that quote in the back of my mind each time I listen to this album. I believe what I love most about this CD, is the inaccessibility of it - that is, the amount of effort needed to be put forth in order to grasp the genius of it. I love feeling as though only a select few people appreciate Kid A the same way as I do. 6. Brand New - The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
In my opinion, this is one of the best albums created in the past 5 years. You can make a case for each track as the best of the album. It opens with 'Sowing Season' - and when this song hits, the intensity grabs you hard. The CD had my attention from there on end. Brand New really amazed me with their versatility in this album, and I don't think I've heard another album with so many good songs.
5. Explosions in the Sky - The World is not a Cold Dark Place
I fell in love with the entire genre of 'post-rock' over the last year, and this CD was my introduction to a whole new take on music. This continues to be my favorite album to listen to while I workout, read, or sleep. The lengthy tracks that slowly build from a calm simple sound to overwhelming culmination of guitars, loops, and drums has been a style of music that allows me to hear it without listening. It lets me drift off and create a backdrop and meaning of my own, the absence of lyrics allow for even greater interpretation. While most stay away from instrumental music, as many of us subconsciously find comfort in lyrics, I have been drawn to it, and The World is not a Cold Dark Place has been one of the most inspiring albums I've found.
4. Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance
There is a lot of nostalgia attached to this CD, while I don't find myself listening to much 'hard' music these days, there is still apart of me that loves it. It took me many listens to really get into this album, but it also really opened my eyes to the beauty and intricacies of Thrice. The screaming always trumped the rest of the music for me, but once I listened past it, I heard the real talent. I hope when I'm old and listening to...well whatever old people listen to then, that I can still throw this CD in and want to rock out to it.
In my opinion, this is one of the best albums created in the past 5 years. You can make a case for each track as the best of the album. It opens with 'Sowing Season' - and when this song hits, the intensity grabs you hard. The CD had my attention from there on end. Brand New really amazed me with their versatility in this album, and I don't think I've heard another album with so many good songs.
5. Explosions in the Sky - The World is not a Cold Dark Place
I fell in love with the entire genre of 'post-rock' over the last year, and this CD was my introduction to a whole new take on music. This continues to be my favorite album to listen to while I workout, read, or sleep. The lengthy tracks that slowly build from a calm simple sound to overwhelming culmination of guitars, loops, and drums has been a style of music that allows me to hear it without listening. It lets me drift off and create a backdrop and meaning of my own, the absence of lyrics allow for even greater interpretation. While most stay away from instrumental music, as many of us subconsciously find comfort in lyrics, I have been drawn to it, and The World is not a Cold Dark Place has been one of the most inspiring albums I've found.4. Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance
There is a lot of nostalgia attached to this CD, while I don't find myself listening to much 'hard' music these days, there is still apart of me that loves it. It took me many listens to really get into this album, but it also really opened my eyes to the beauty and intricacies of Thrice. The screaming always trumped the rest of the music for me, but once I listened past it, I heard the real talent. I hope when I'm old and listening to...well whatever old people listen to then, that I can still throw this CD in and want to rock out to it.
3. French Kicks - Swimming
While most of the albums on this list have been around for at least a few years, Swimming is only about a year and a half old - which must speak to how much I enjoy it. Like a few other of my favorite albums, my favorite track changed on what seemed like a weekly basis. Swimming is the album I can listen to anytime, and when I don't even know what kind of mood I wish to appeal to. Listening to the French Kicks is like nothing else, the entire album creates a mood which is not of this world, one that causes you to feel as though you're in a perfect dream. Seeing these guys live only caused me to fall in love with this album even more. They performed just as I imagined, and made everyone feel right at home. I think listening to this album lets me go back to that show and relive it over and over. Something I very rarely find.
2. Sparta - Wiretap ScarsWhile most of the albums on this list have been around for at least a few years, Swimming is only about a year and a half old - which must speak to how much I enjoy it. Like a few other of my favorite albums, my favorite track changed on what seemed like a weekly basis. Swimming is the album I can listen to anytime, and when I don't even know what kind of mood I wish to appeal to. Listening to the French Kicks is like nothing else, the entire album creates a mood which is not of this world, one that causes you to feel as though you're in a perfect dream. Seeing these guys live only caused me to fall in love with this album even more. They performed just as I imagined, and made everyone feel right at home. I think listening to this album lets me go back to that show and relive it over and over. Something I very rarely find.
I probably listened to Wiretap Scars a dozen times through before I really got to the core of it. I could sing along with most of the songs, but never really analyzed the substance of it all. Upon doing so, each song sounded different - it was like rediscovering the CD all over again. Cataract might be one of my favorite songs of all time - one I have yet to be tired of hearing to this day. After reading the lyrics and discussions on interpretations, the songs would strike me in a different way each time. I could hear the emotion of Jim Ward's voice, rather than just hearing shouting. I feel this album was ahead of its time, creating an ambient sound mixing with loops and hard riffs. This is another album I've heard many times before discovering the real brilliance of it all.
1. Dear & the Headlights - Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
The connection I have with this album, is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I can specifically recall browsing through iTunes one day before I was about to make the two hour drive back to college, and I wanted a new album to listen to with my extra time. I was drawn in by the singe 'Sweet Talk', and instantly fell in love with that track. I
listened to the album through a few times, but failed to make any groundbreaking connection right away. Weeks later I found myself devastated upon discovering news of an unpleasant nature...that of a certain female...I'll just leave it at that. I found myself in a constant haze of anger and sorrow, and the most comforting thing I had was this album. As I continued to listen to it, it felt as though it was written specifically for me - and my current situation. I've heard 'breakup songs' before, but none have spoken to me on the same level as Small Steps, Heavy Hooves. I probably listened to this album 70+ times in a span of a month. Fortunately, I can still listen to this CD without having the horrible feelings attached to it, it would have been tragic if I had to refrain from listening to it ever again. Too many songs have been like syringes for me - used to cure the illness, but then disposed of forever. But this album is the exception to the rule. 
