Bosshard

This is dedicated to you, Ben Stiller.

An album about the politics of breaking up, this was the band's last album before their hiatus, which is a shame because it featured some of their best musicianship.

A great debut album that reached a place I'm not sure the band ever got again. The sound here is a little heavier than their current stuff, but does feature OK Go staples of having hilariously clever music videos.

A solid debut album that showcased a band that unfortunately would never sound this way again due to the unfortunate death of the band's frontman, Dave Williams. He had a truly unique voice, and that's sorely missing on the band's later efforts.

This album probably doesn't get the respect it deserves because it's the second album after their hiatus, following Load. A departure from the Speed Metal sound that put Metallica in the spotlight, this is a more traditional rock album that I feel does have some Blues leaking into it.

This genius pairing of Symphony and Metallica, (the titular S&M) was an amazing listen, and the new tracks added for the experience, No Leaf Clover and -Human don't get enough credit as just great Metallica tracks.

This double album is a testament to the musicianship of both Andre 3000 and Big Boi, who probably gets overshadowed by the big swings Andre takes.

Side project of Deftones' frontman Chino Moreno, this moody album does leave you wanting more.

Say what you want about the band in a post, "Viva la Vida" world, but their first three albums were masterpieces, and I will die on that hill.

I'm kinda surprised this band wasn't bigger than it was, with their catchy lyrics, and funny music video for the breakout track, "Love me Dead."

A supergroup formed by the members of Guns 'n' Roses who still liked each other, and Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, this group was just a return to some good rock 'n' roll.

Just some amazing pop-punk, and Hayley Williams might be my favorite female vocalist of all time.

This nautical themed album is a great listen, and Johnny Marr's guitar really elevates it.

A much stronger album than their debut album, Orgy is still a niche listen that you kinda have to be in the mood for.

While most people probably know Kimbra as the female voice on Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," this New Zealand singer's debut album has some amazing pop tracks all on her own.

The best things about these movies will always be the soundtracks, and this is the best of them. A great collection of indie tracks for Hoa Hoa Hoa season.

Not much to say about this album that hasn't already been said, this is the album that brought The White Stripes to the mainstream. Fun fact: I once worked at a combination Game Crazy/Hollywood Video, and I played "I Think I Smell a Rat" on loop for hours until the manager of Hollywood Video came over and screamed at me. Good times.

The debut album of Robert Schwartzman (Coppola), you can get a sneak preview of the opening track in a scene from The Princess Diaries. If the Beatles and Beach Boys had a baby, that baby would have made this album, which is full of amazing tracks that will probably make you want to have a chocolate malt.

While I've seen this band in concert multiple times, the debut album from AAR probably does have just as many misses as hits, and the band does seem more polished in their later works. But still, some of these songs are classics, and take you back to the early aughts nostalgia.

The sophomore album from The Strokes isn't quite as memorable as their debut, Is This it, but this record is loaded with some of the bands most classic tracks. Thanks to Sofia Coppola, I'll forever associate What Ever Happened? with Marie Antoinette.

While I *want* to like this album more than the band's debut, Hot Fuss, this love letter to Bruce Springsteen does have some very notable misses, which are Uncle Johnny and My List. That being said, the passion of this album does for me eclipse Hot Fuss, and would lead the band to trying to fuse the two together in their third album, Day & Age.

A perfect debut album from an amazing band, there's not much to say about this album that hasn't been said in other reviews. It's perfection, plain and simple.

This Prince album masquerading as a soundtrack to the 1989 Batman film isn't quite as polished as Purple Rain, but there are some classics here. The standout for me is actually The Future, which sees Prince take on a more agnostic approach about the afterlife than he's known for in his music.

The guitar solo on Computer Blue is worth the price of admission alone, but this is Prince's most famous work, and for good reason. Every song is great. There are no misses on this album. He was a master of his craft, and this album cemented it.

Written for AMC's third season of Interview with the Vampire, which had a title change to The Vampire Lestat, this album was written for the show as the titular vampire goes on tour telling his life story through music. Sam Reid brings Daniel Hart's music to life, and while in universe the album was a flop, I have a feeling real life would be a different story.

The debut album from TLDP is definitely light on radio friendly singles, with really only the charting "Nothing Matters," but I think that's by design. This is an album to experience end to end.

A Christmas classic, and a personal family tradition to go see in ballet every year, this is a German folk story told via orchestra written by a Russian. The result is timeless.

The freshman debut from We Are Scientists, this album captures the high energy live shows the band was doing at their inception. Less polished/produced than their later efforts, this album goes for a more raw sound. The music videos that accompany the singles are great, and show that while this band takes music seriously, they will never take themselves seriously.

The first album out of their hiatus, it doesn't quite live up to the premise of the title, but is still a fresh sound from a band that was ready to be reinvigorated.

An album about the ennui of America in the Reagan era that still seems relevant today, and Henley even takes shots at Trump in Gimmie What You Got. But featuring such varied artists as Bruce Hornsby and Axl Rose, this album is wistful, angry, and hopeful all in one.

This was my jumping off point for MCR, and this album brings a level of polish that their freshmen album I Brought You My Bullets didn't have. While I'm Not Okay, I Promise, and Helena put them on the map, I find the album cuts here really steal the show and showcase the musicality of the band that gives an almost early preview into the swings they would take in The Black Parade.

The band's magnum opus and concept album about the concept of Death appearing to you as a core memory, this album could almost be a rock opera.

This album came out at the right time during Covid and gave us a cozy listening experience. While I do think the back half of the album isn't quite as strong as the opening half, the dedication to medical workers, Epiphany, stands out. The track opener 'the 1' sets the tone with bittersweet lyrics that still somehow tell you that everything's going to be alright.

Probably one of the Queens' most sleeper albums, some of the tracks here are just amazing, with standouts being Misfit Love, the cheeky criticism of the influencer class, I'm Designer, along with radio friendly hits like 3s & 7s.

A moody and heavy album perfect for the spooky season.

A perfect debut album with zero skippable songs in a tight package that clocks in at less than 40 minutes. This is a level of perfection that the band doesn't ever quite manage to grasp again.

While former Sum 41 drummer Steve Jocz has later said that he thinks there is some filler on this album, I heartily disagree. Ironically enough, Jocz is one of the reasons I enjoy this album so much, and was one of the first times I really paid attention to drumming. His fills and drum work on songs like Nothing On My Back and Rhythms really shine, and this is an album that I think the album cuts shine more than the singles like Fat Lip. Well worth revisiting for a glimpse back into the early aughts.

While overshadowed by the chart toppers of Complicated and Sk8er Boi, this I do feel like is one of the best debuts of a singer songwriter, who's work really shines in the album cuts. Tracks like Tomorrow, Things I'll Never Say, Mobile, capture more of a deeper character than the radio friendly tracks do and are well worth the listen. The only downsides of the album for me are songs like Losing Grip and Unwanted sounding a bit too similar, but this album shines despite those similarities.

Daft Punk's sophomore album is an undisputed masterpiece. It covers a wide range of genres, not just House, but goes into Guitar Tapping riffs of Aerodynamic, the smooth groove of Something About Us, and tracks like Face to Face, which is a masterclass of sampling. The album released with its own anime, Interstella 5555, which makes this a complete audio and visual experience.

We Are Scientists' sophomore album has a more polished/produced sound than their first outing, With Love and Squalor, but the band continues their style of "never taking themselves seriously, but taking the music seriously." While the highest charting single of After Hours will be immediately recognizable from soundtracks like Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, tracks like Tonight, and That's What Counts, where the band takes a big swing are the standouts for me.

The upbeat sound against the lyrics dealing with mental health issues, surrounded by a former member of the band coming back into the fold to create a very cathartic, musically fresh, and extremely catchy album. Hayley Williams' lyrics, with Taylor York's production, and Zac Farro's stylistic visual direction make this a truly unique, special album.