Dinosaur Jr -- Green Mind

  The major label debut and pretty much solo J Mascis release by Dinosaur Jr.  I'd like to say that the album lacked brilliance because Barlow had been kicked out of the band and sold out to corporate bullshit, by moving to a major label, but ... you know what!?  The record is awesome!  Stays true in form and spirit!

New Riders Of The Purple Sage

  The first and best incantation of country rock, Dead-esque, Garcia pedal steeled guitar driven, band and album of the New Riders Of The Purple Sage ... if there is anything worth getting by this group, this is it, even if Panama Red is their best known work!

Mac DeMarco -- Salad Days

  Why is it that I felt like an indie snob sell out when I bought this album?  I really liked his mix of lazy 70's Kurt Vile vocals with the flanged out guitars of Real Estate and the lyrical goofiness of Jonathan Richman.  But to answer my question, maybe it's because this lo-fi music is made for a generation who didn't grow up on Sebadoh!?

The Replacements -- Let It Be

  The album that puts all of the 90's punk rock to shame, years before the era had even hit ... of course the next logical step was the likes of The Pixies and Mudhoney, not a bunch of obselete wannabe posers trying to rehash the next great Replacements record!

Randy Newman -- Live

  A short and sweet album of Randy Newman's classic little ditties, featuring just him and his piano, not that the album is bad, but it feels more suitable for super fans, nonetheless perfect for mellow morning coffee!

The Who -- Sell Out

  If it weren't for the craptastic radio spoofs, this smooth, airy, Who album would have been their most innovative and triumphant effort, but being their overly juvenile smarmy British selves, the brilliance couldn't prevail, which is always my problem when it comes to this band, save for their first record!

Bob Dylan -- Blood On The Tracks

  Drenched in divorce sad bastardom, Dylan's Blood On The Tracks gives us a look at Zimmy's all too beautifully real  bitterness, and if you've ever been in a similar situation, you'd get every single word ... too!

Tangerine Dream -- Rubycon

  Tangerine Dream's Rubycon is an ambiently meditative classic synth album, it moves like a soundtrack to an alien oceanographic documentary, weaving your mind through the vast waters of space, while still being made from earth!

Nico -- Chelsea Girl

  With the help of many rock luminaries like, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, just to name a few, Nico, the ultimate chanteuse femme fatale made her chamber style baroque folk debut album, which to me is her best and most accessible, compared to her usual existential death records.

Tom Waits -- The Heart Of Saturday Night

  The Heart Of Saturday Night is like a beat poet meets Frank Sinatra mixed with Bruce Springsteen, this album marks where Waits starts to find his persona.

The Beach Boys -- Holland

  Holland is a strangely brilliant Beach Boys version of 1970's Laurel canyonesque Americana.