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Looking for some new music? Give these albums a listen.
Now playing
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Bob Mould
Life and Times
Anti-, 2009
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Dan Auerbach
Keep It Hid
Nonesuch, 2009
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Dido
Safe Trip Home
Arista, 2008
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Various Artists
Original Soundtrack,
Good Will Hunting
Capitol, 1997
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All-time top 10
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1.
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Sugar
Copper Blue
Rykodisc, 1992
A stunning collage of densely layered guitars, thunderous bass lines, and furious, precision drumming. “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” is a true Bob Mould gem, and Copper Blue is the best 45 minutes of music that I own.
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2.
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Fountains of Wayne
Welcome Interstate Managers
S-Curve, 2003
The most consistently enjoyable CD that I’ve heard in years. This third album from the Fountains is brimming with incredibly catchy pop hooks and surprisingly poignant storytelling. An instant classic.
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3.
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Cracker
Kerosene Hat
Virgin, 1993
Best known for the hits “Low” and “Get Off This,” Cracker’s second album offers plenty of other great Southern rockers and shuffling, dusty ballads. Don’t overlook the hidden songs, especially track 69, “Eurotrash Girl.”
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4.
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Foo Fighters
There Is Nothing Left to Lose
RCA/Roswell, 1999
Dave Grohl and his bandmates draw heavily on classic rock influences from the 1970s — the Who, Foghat, Rush, and Peter Frampton — and still manage to create a modern, unique sound of their own.
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5.
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R.E.M.
Automatic for the People
Warner Bros., 1992
A dark, haunting album that’s a complete departure from its mostly uptempo and hugely successful predecessor, Out of Time. Few rock bands in the 1990s produced songs more beautiful than “Nightswimming” and “Find the River.”
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6.
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Elliott Smith
Figure 8
DreamWorks, 2000
The last album that was released before Smith’s mysterious, untimely death in 2003, Figure 8 mixes bright acoustic arrangements with somber lyrics, and ranks among some of Smith’s best work.
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7.
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The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Time Out
Columbia/Legacy, 1959
Brubeck challenges conventional jazz standards with unusual time signatures such as 5/4 (“Take Five,” naturally) and 9/8 (“Blue Rondo a la Turk”). An experimental yet accessible recording, and a huge achievement in jazz.
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8.
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Genesis
Duke
Atlantic, 1980
Released after Genesis’ art-rock days but before their ascent to worldwide stardom, Duke contains both long instrumentals (“Duke’s Travels”) and accessible pop (“Misunderstanding”). Terrific cover art, too.
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9.
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John Coltrane
Blue Train
Blue Note, 1957
I didn’t know it at the time, but Blue Train was the namesake of my favorite CD store when I was in college. The store is gone now, but I wish I’d discovered this album back then — it’s brilliant cool jazz from a true master.
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10.
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Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News
Chrysalis, 1980
A sentimental pick — the News were my first favorite rock band when I was a kid. I often played this album (er, tape) in my Walkman as I walked along the beaches of Stone Harbor, N.J., on summer vacation.
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Image credits: All Music Guide
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