Favorites: Albums
Welcome to what is probably going to be one of the most involved sections of this site...
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
Artist: Sex Pistols
Label: Virgin (UK/Europe)/Warner Bros. (USA/Canada)
This is my favorite album of all time, plain and simple. It is the rock album I measure all other rock albums against because of just how incredibly solid everything is on it. The production is massive, the guitar tone is a relentless wall of sound, and there isn't a weak track to be found. I currently own a dozen different editions of it across various formats, ranging from my original Warner Bros. vinyl copy and an early UK Virgin pressing, to the 34th Anniversary box set. I even have the eight-track edition, which I dug out of a flea market crate back in 1986 for a single dollar. For me, this album is absolute ground zero.
Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
Artist: Minutemen
Label: SST
Since Watt is already holding down the low end on the Bassists page, it only makes sense to feature this sprawling masterpiece. Forty-plus tracks of pure, unadulterated "jamming econo." It perfectly blends punk, funk, and jazz without ever feeling pretentious. The bass tone is clanky and aggressive, D. Boon's guitar is jagged and brilliant, and George Hurley plays the drums like they owe him money. It's essential listening for anyone who thinks punk rock has to be limited to three chords.
Chameleon (2004)
Artist: Whiteberry
Label: Pot Artist/Sony Music Japan
This record is a perfect example of why the Japanese rock scene is so consistently great. Whiteberry might have started out incredibly young, but by the time they dropped Chameleon, their musicianship was absolutely air-tight. It’s packed with driving pop-punk energy, ridiculously catchy hooks, and the kind of high-octane guitar and rhythm work that immediately demands your attention. They had this brilliant ability to weave bright, melodic pop sensibilities right over the top of a genuinely heavy, driving rock foundation. It’s an absolute blast of an album that proves you can write massive, memorable hooks without sacrificing an ounce of instrumental punch.
Serotonin II (2019)
Artist: yeule
Label: Bayonet Records
There is something incredibly special about the world Nat built on this record. It’s a masterclass in glitchy, ethereal electronic production, blending ambient textures with dream-pop in a way that feels intensely personal and futuristic all at once. The synthesizers are lush but deliberately fractured, and the vocal processing adds a beautiful, haunting layer to the entire project. It perfectly captures that late-night, wired-but-dreaming headspace, standing as a truly stunning piece of electronic music from a brilliant artist.