Pink Floyd -- Obscured By Clouds

  Maybe not the type of music that a typical Floyd fan will be looking for, but for everyone else, Obscured By Clouds is like a long lost Hawkwind album!

Eric's Trip -- Purple Blue

  Purple Blue is the perfect stoner indie punk, but somehow it looks and sounds like an Elevator album, Rick's next project, so it has foreshadowing too!

Lou Reed -- New York

  The album New York is Lou Reed doing what he does best, low down street inspired city rock 'n' roll, but it's got a Velvet Undergroud influenced dad rock feel to it.

Leonard Cohen -- Death Of A Ladies' Man

  Death Of A Ladies' Man has that 50's inspired giant 70's rock band style that Phil Spector experimented with John Lennon, but instead it's Leonard Cohen singing ... so weird and hilariously enough they mention, in the liner notes, where they got their liquor and pizza from!

Wire -- Chairs Missing

  Art punk before such a term ever existed, these guys were like the British Pere Ubu, so far ahead of the curve, it took years for people to know what to make of it.

Dinosaur Jr. -- Bug

  Known to be as the last record of the original Dinosaur Jr. line up, but J had totally taken over the band by then, there wasn't much room for any other input except Barlow's idiotic screaming on Don't,  it's obviously still an awesome record -- deh!!!

Randy Newman -- Little Criminals

  Little Criminals is a pastiche of the Newman sound (rock, cabaret, country, orchestra ... You get it) in his classic bitterly naive ditties that makes his music so unique.

Stevie Wonder --Where I'm Coming From

  A weird mix of classic Motown, new Stevie and baroque pop, it's like Wonder wasn't sure which direction to go in, you can almost hear the growing pain of sonic confusion, but nevertheless a great record.

The Youngbloods -- Elephant Mountain

  This underrated jazzy folk rock album is drenched in that hopeful hippiedom that may have been dated at the time of its release, but it's a good record, my question is, what is with the whack cover?  And what looks like a steaming pile of poo in the foreground?

Syd Barrett -- Barrett

  Barrett's final record is way more accessibility interesting than his The Madcap Laughs uneven schizophrenic ramblings or the overtly British Floydian space jams ... what you've got here is 70's proto-indie rock.  And it's cute that Gilmour was so involved in Syd's solo career, like he was responsible for his friend because he had replaced him in his band.

Hawkwind -- Hall Of The Mountain Grill

  Hall Of The Mointain Grill is the rock 'n' roll equivalent of a Ralph Bashski cartoon!  And I mean that in the most complimentary way, just think of a mix of Barrett's Pink Floyd meets Black Sabbath.

Elliott Smith --Figure 8

  Figure 8 is Smith at the height of his Beatles-esque gloom pop phase, like there was a glimmer of hope in his depression, unfortunately it wasn't true ...

Gabor Szabo -- His Great Hits

  What you have here is a strange plethora ranging from completely brilliant jazz guitar, to groovy kitch Muzak and terrible ridiculousness.  This double lp definitely spans Szabo's diversity and sometimes not in the best ways, but nevertheless he's a great talent and worth knowing.

The Flaming Lips -- The Terror

  Dark, atmopheric psychedelic indie synth ... man, it's really unbelievable that a band that has been around so long can pump out an album that is relevant and good!

Johnny Cash -- American Recordings

  Man, why can't every aging rock star do like Cash, making back to basics relevant music?  His voice is so poignantly real, that this album is up there with the best he's ever done, mostly thanks to Rick Rubin who encouraged him to do this project with only his guitar. 

The War On Drugs -- Lost In The Dream

  This Springsteen'd tempo'd mixed with the flowing jamminess of The Cure's Disintergration is just where I like indie music to be going ... nice and mellow classic!

Leo Kottke -- 6- And 12- String Guitar

  Holy fuck ... this super weird neo-traditionalist instrumental album made by guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke, claiming to be a hundred year old cowboy, is so damn interesting it's a must hear for any music lover!

Sonic Youth -- Murray Street

  This is what I'd consider an adult period Sonic Youth album, it's an exploration of the softer, post-rock, side of their sound, which may not have the song quality of their boisterous classics, but is way more accessible on a Sunday morning while making breakfast.

The Tallest Man On Earth -- Dark Bird Is Home

  Don't get me wrong, this guy is very talented, but I find this 2000's style folk music mega dated, and is probably loved by jockhemian jokers with beards and manbuns!

Grateful Dead -- Live Dead

  Live is a great example of the Dead's jam power, but Dark Star shows their playful jazzy brilliance!

Lana Del Rey -- Honeymoon

  

One night I was begged over and over to play this album, I kept refusing, cause 'God forbid I'd listen to some modern day popular garbage' .... finally I gave in and heard this Frank Sinatra meets Portishead pop classic ... that I insisted I keep!