After Facebook's viral "25 things" explosion, I thought I'd take a crack at the"15 albums that changed my life." Let me know what you think.
A beautiful theme album inspired by the story of Anne Frank. Maybe the best album of the bunch.
2. Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Master and Everyone (2003)
Probably one of the more obscure choices for a New Yorker profile, but listen to this album and see why a London Independent writer called Billy "the underground artist most likely to work his way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
3. Five Iron Frenzy, Our Newest Album Ever (1997)
Taught me that Christian art can be intellectual, critical, and irreverently humorous
4. The White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
I don't understand anyone that talks about contemporary music as if our generation is somehow devoid of transcendent artists, when Jacky White is clearly one of them.
5. Pedro the Lion, Achilles Heal (2004) / It's Hard to Find a Friend (1998)
Required listening for anyone who has had difficulty reconciling fundamentalist beliefs with the world around them.
6. Ray Lamontagne, Trouble (2004)
See # 4
7. The Beatles, Sgt. Peppers (1966) / Let it Be (1970)
Me and Dad, Sunday driving, not arriving
8. Brave Saint Saturn, The Light of Things Hoped For (2003)
See # 3, #5
9. Andrew Bird, Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005)
A masterful album. Just give his quirky, symbolism-laden lyrics some time.
10. Jolie Holland, Escondida (2003)
Beautiful New Orleans accent. A soulful, spartan sound. Jolie Holland makes me weak in the knees.
11. Jeff Buckley, Grace (1994) /Live at Sine (2003)
Best vocalist from the past quarter century, and as Andi Agnew covered in her Dead Guys column. He drowned in the Mississippi before making it big, but at he left behind something special.
12. Outkast, Stankonia (2001)
My first rap album. And thankfully, not my last.
13. Dashboard Confessional, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001)
Defined an embarrassing emo period in my life. Yikes.
14. Tom Waits, Mule Variations (1999)
A great starter album for anyone who has always wanted to give the gravelly-voiced singer-songwriter a shot.
15. The Cool Kids, Bake Sale (2008)
With Outkast and Jay Z gone, someone other had to fill the rap void in my life (Sorry, Kanye). A great blend of contemporary rap with a flush of Run DMC and The Beastie Boys.
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