Just some ones I wasn't sure how to categorize. I guess there's a little bit of hyperpop, a little bit of late 80s-early 90s, a little bit of metal?

10000 gecs - 100 gecs

2023
Genres - Hyperpop, pop-punk
Favourite song - I Got My Tooth Removed

I listened to this one right after listening to their first album, 1000 gecs. The reason I listened to their first album initially was because the last time I had listened to it was in 2020 or 2021 (a dark time of being an "alt kid" on TikTok, but for the record I was into nightcore years before 100 gecs hit the scene, so it was only natural for me to be drawn to them at the time), so it was somewhere between nostalgia and simply wondering where 100 gecs has gone since. What I noticed is that the sound of this album was a lot less experimental than their first album, leaning a lot more into typical pop influences. I think there's something charming in how odd and chaotic their music is, so for there to be less chaos? I wasn't a very big fan. I Got My Tooth Removed is probably closest to what I liked about their music, which is why it's my favourite track from the album.

BRAT - Charli xcx

2024
Genres - Electro-pop, dance, hyperpop
Favourite song - N/A

I listened to this a whole year after "brat summer" so maybe I have no right to speak when I was late to the party, but I actually didn't like this album! I have a playlist where I've kept track of songs I liked from every album I listened to, but when I went to search for Charli xcx in it there was simply nothing, so I went to go look at the album and... yeah, I can't say I want to call any my favourite. It's not that I don't remember any of them, because between the fact that it was the album of the summer in 2024 and the fact that 365 plays at my retail job every day I very much remember a lot of them. It's just that what struck me the most about the album were lyrics constantly peddling cocaine and not eating as fun, "party girl" things to do. Call me a party pooper but seriously, coke and EDs? When we wanted to bring back Y2K that meant that we were going to leave things that have ruined so many lives behind, right? Obviously I know that most people who were having a "brat summer" weren't going "wow, Charli xcx just told me to do a line, I must right now!" but the fact that such a big artist writes about it as though it's just an average or even fun thing is so disconcerting to me. One could say it's satirizing or critiquing the lives that many party people lead, but it sure doesn't sound like it to me. I really don't care if people like it, the sounds of the album are fun and easy to dance to, I just can't listen without thinking of the ugly and VERY dangerous things that hard drugs and EDs can do to a person.

Violator - Depeche Mode

1990
Genres - Gothic rock, synth-pop, alternative rock
Favourite song - Sweetest Perfection

Okay, I promise not all albums in this category I have something negative to say about. That's because this album is incredible, it has a lot of Depeche Mode's best songs on it. Personal Jesus is a classic and never gets old for me, but I love the solemn and slow feel of songs like Waiting for the Night and Sweetest Perfection. All of this coupled with their gothic electronic sounds and poetic lyrics makes for such a wonderful listen, either in the background while doing something or focusing in on the sounds that surround you. It's like being tucked into an inky-black blanket.

Chocolate Starfish And The Hotdog Flavoured Water - Limp Bizkit

2000
Genres - Nu metal, rap metal
Favourite song - Livin' It Up

There's something about Limp Bizkit's style that is really great. I love their fusion of rap and metal, and how straightforward their lyrics are. I knew some of their most popular songs going into this album, like Rollin' and My Generation, and I came out loving some of their less-but-still-kind-of-popular songs like Livin' It Up and Full Nelson. I think this is an album where a lot of the songs on it are striking in their own right, but in album format it's kind of long and dragged out. A lot of the songs in the first half are more hype, it mellows out a little by the end. Still a fun listen though!

Countdown to Extinction - Megadeth

1992
Genres - Thrash metal, heavy metal
Favourite song - Symphony of Destruction

If I'm being entirely honest, I remember listening to this one because I was in a stint of listening to Symphony of Destruction a lot... and that's all I remember. Not that it was bad, because I also remember thinking I should listen to old thrash metal some more, but unfortunately it simply wasn't one that stuck out to me past that...

Whenever You Need Somebody - Rick Astley

1987
Genres - Pop
Favourite song - It Would Take a Strong Strong Man

Coming out as an unironic Rick Astley fan. I don't give a damn about being Rick-rolled because, quite frankly, why would I be mad about being surprised with a jolly good tune? Outside of Never Gonna Give You Up though (which is the first song on the album, by the way. I wholly wasn't expecting it, and I got Rick-rolled), there are many wonderful, danceable songs on this album. Rick Astley's lyrics are for the YEARNERS! Really! Many of the songs (such as Together Forever and the titular Whenever You Need Somebody) are kind of romantic pop ballads, and I like that, I think they're sweet. There's really not much more rhyme or reason as to why I liked this album, it's just good fun.

RECCS FROM FRIENDS!

These are albums my friends showed or suggested to me! I love getting a sample of my friends' tastes!

THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND - Bad Omens

2022
Genres - Metalcore, alternative rock
Favourite song - THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND

I don't remember too much from this album unfortunately. My friend recommended the band because they were coming to our area in the year, and so I put this album on while I was working on something. I'm not a big metalcore type of person, I prefer a more classic metal type of sound, but I still enjoyed this album a lot. I think the vocalist has some really nice talent.

Seven and the Ragged Tiger - Duran Duran

1983
Genres - Synth-pop, new wave
Favourite song - The Reflex

Big shoutout to my friend Zag, who told me I would really like this album after I expressed to him how much I loved the style of Duran Duran's other songs, Save A Prayer and The Chauffer. I knew The Reflex going into this album, and it's still my favourite song from it, but I feel like not mentioning the vibey, calm new wave synth in the latter half of the album would be doing it a disservice. Songs like Union of The Snake, Tiger Tiger and The Seventh Stranger are almost hypnotic, and I like that a lot, Duran Duran does it really well.

Holy Cow - Martini Ranch

1988
Genres - New wave, synth-pop
Favourite song - Hot Dog

A hidden new wave gem that a friend recommended to me while I was in a new wave kick. The instrumentals are goofy, bouncy and fun, with some over-the-top lyrics to match. Upon looking into this album, it turns out that there are guest appearances from three members of DEVO and one from the B-52s?! I'm really not sure what the story behind this album is, especially because it doesn't seem the band is very big at all, but it's still a really good listen.

The following three are all from my friend Seth, who is a very cool music guy who works at a radio (at the time of me typing this). I love you Seth, you rock!

PLEASE COME TO ME - Masma Dream World

2025
Genres - Ambient, experimental
Favourite song - O, Dark Mother

To say this one is in the typical range of Seth's taste is misleading. Seth, if you're reading this, I apologize for putting this one first. It came into my life when he sent it to my girlfriend, having found it in his Spotify "discover weekly." To say that this album was a mysterious thing to crop up in his "discover weekly" is an understatement. At a first glance, the album consists almost entirely of ambient sounds, distant chants and cries, and ritualistic drumming. A quick look into the artist reveals though that this is all very intentional, that this is not ambience for ambience's sake but instead an album produced out of a personal, spiritual deep-dive. The echoes and cries are reflective of entering an abyss, the "void state," and facing the vastness of the world head-on. I wouldn't say this is everyone's cup of tea by any means, but as someone who is also deeply spiritual I really liked it, I felt a lot of emotion going through each and every track. Since I first listened to it, I've put this album on before bed or while meditating. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much, but the authenticity in its raw energy is something that really struck me.

Teenage Snuff Film - Rowland S. Howard

1999
Genres - Post-punk, blues
Favourite song - Silver Chain (biased pick, I was influenced by Seth)

One that Seth was very into at the time of me listening to it. Excellent, melancholic instrumentals and lyricism! Makes me want to listen to more blues-style music.

Suede (also known as The London Suede) [Self-titled]

1993
Genres - Alternative rock, britpop
Favourite song - Animal Lover

Seth convinced me to listen to this one because apparently this album is known for the androgynous lovers on the cover, who are actually a lesbian couple. I don't remember too much, probably because I'm not the biggest britpop person, but I think a second listen-through and I'd get a lot of enjoyment.

More that I wasn't sure how to categorize. Not a single overlapping genre amongst these artists.

Good For Your Soul - Oingo Boingo

1983
Genres - New wave, ska
Favourite song - Who Do You Want To Be

I love the theatricality of Oingo Boingo a lot. I love the satire in a lot of their lyrics, especially in songs like Who Do You Want To Be and Nothing Bad Ever Happens. I also liked that a lot of tracks on this album had their usual fun, new wave sound, coupled with elements of horror with songs like Pictures of You and No Spill Blood. It's no wonder Danny Elfman went on to work often with Tim Burton, with his grim sense of humour. The album starts with a bang and just keeps going, and going, and going-- the energy never stops! It wanes a little at point, but doesn't die completely. It crawls back up and keeps on moving! If you're looking for something face-paced and upbeat, this is the album to listen to.

Nothing To Fear - Oingo Boingo

1982
Genres - New wave
Favourite song - Wild Sex (in the Working Class)

This, being Oingo Boingo's second album (Good For Your Soul above this is their third), I think has a more "raw" sound than a lot of their later songs. It doesn't have as many tracks I like as some of their other albums, but I still like a lot of the tracks on this album. It's just one where I like a lot of individual songs from it, as opposed to everything in order-- which is something I find myself liking with some of Boingo's other albums.

SWITCHBLADE - SCHAFT

1994
Genres - Industrial, electronic
Favourite song - Slice

I don't remember a lot of this one... I listened to it because I was trying to look more in-depth into projects the members of my favourite band, BUCK-TICK, were a part of. SCHAFT is one such project, with BUCK-TICK's guitarist Hisashi Imai as one of the members. I thought this album was very long and not super hype... I'm sorry Imai, I promise I love your instrumentals otherwise...

Mastermind - Tardigrade Inferno

2019
Genres - Experimental metal, dark cabaret
Favourite song - Hypnosis

Let it be known that my actual favourite track is their cover of We Are Number One from Lazytown that is at the end of this album. I've looped it an insane amount, too much to not mention this, but it felt like a crime to me to put that as my favourite as opposed to their originals. Tardigrade Inferno is really incredible, making comically villainous songs that blend dark cabaret with metal instrumentals and vocals. Both are genres I adore, and the blend of them together is really like nothing else. The songs are fun, each with a story of their own and sometimes some deeper commentary beneath the surface (such as in Dreadful Song). This "deeper commentary" is few and far between though, most of it is just singing about villainy for villainy's sake. Still very great though!

The Party Album! - Vengaboys

1999
Genres - Eurodance
Favourite song - We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)

Yes... The Vengaboys. God bless the Netherlands for their contributions to music, but I can't pretend that I remember a single song from this besides the two most popular (We Like To Party and Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!). I imagine this is because in whole album format this album is probably best listened to in a club with a drink for every song, and I was listening with my girlfriend in her bedroom. I don't remember how sober I was, because I doubt I was entirely sober, but I digress. Dance parties did ensue, fun was had, and that's all that really matters coming from this album I think.

Herstory in the Making - Young M.A.

2019
Genres - Hip-hop
Favourite song - Bleed

Young M.A. deserves just as much attention as some of her male contemporaries, I'm so serious. Her lyrics, talking a lot about poverty, sexuality, gender and other hardships are very striking. Her style is very down-to-earth and honest, not shying away from any ugly truths. I like the sultry quality of her voice and the sharpness of her beats. There are a lot of songs on the album, unpacking a lot of M.A.'s life's story from the beginning to the end of the album. I'm usually not a fan of albums that are so long, but this one is different, it captivated me through the whole thing and I was always interested in what she had to say next. I'm not very versed in hip-hop, but PettyWap and Bleed are songs I'd consider essentials to my rap/hip-hop playlist.