The Smiths -
Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
I finally got around to listening to more than just the occasional single from them this year. Again I got some releases from my ex, and
Hatful of Hollow finally did it for me while spending the afternoon at the park alone this spring. I worked my way through all the albums and like them all quite a bit but this wins out by just a tad.
Sonic Youth -
Dirty (1992)
I only started listening to them last year, and after having gone through a handful of albums I think this is the best so far - and it's the most recent I got. Some of the others will take more time to sink in while this one just kind of hits the spot without as much effort. Daydream Nation is very good (wouldn't put it here anyway since I discovered it last year) but feels a bit overlong compared to this one.
Swirlies -
They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons (1996)
This one...god damn. It's like discovering a long-lost 90s indie/alternative rock classic or something. Well, literally it is. Say you're a fan of
Sonic Youth,
My Bloody Valentine, early
Smashing Pumpkins - well I equate finding this to fans of
The Beatles and
The Kinks finally discovering
The Zombies. Their debut,
Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, is equally good. I haven't checked out any others yet as the ratings indicate I might be disappointed.
The The -
Soul Mining (1983)
I think I've expressed enough how much I've enjoyed this album. A few songs struck me on first listen, while walking around the lake during lunch as has been the case so often over the last 4 years. Then it just grew, and grew and grew. A couple songs are still just ok but the rest is god-damn good.
These New Puritans -
Pyramid (2008)
I heard of their 2010 release,
Hidden, and decided to check it out. Pretty cool mix of electronic and post-punk. I've seen it end up on a few best of 2010 lists, but while some songs are great I feel it's a little inconsistent and I prefer this album.
