25. NewVillager: NewVillager
Newvillager is a really cool band, with a really cool sound. They sound artistic if that makes sense? Yet their music is very poppy. Their self-titled debut album came out in 2011, and has never really left my regular playlist on iTunes. NewVillager consists of a group of artists that utilize music and visual means to get their message across. In fact, and I may be wrong with this, but all of their music videos for their debut tell a story across all of the videos. They are visual, and I love their sound. I've been hoping that they would eventually release another album, but if they don't I am very content with their one and only release. Six years later, and I still hear something new every time I listen to it.
24. The Garden State Soundtrack
This soundtrack is 2000s indie rock 101. If you want to get into indie rock, and I think you should, this is an excellent jumping off place. I discovered so many bands solely because of this soundtrack. The Shins, Iron & Wine, Nick Drake, and Thievery Corporation, just to name a few. But it doesn't just feature, what at the time were up and coming artists. It also features mainstream acts such as Coldplay and Simon & Garfunkel. Picking a single song to showcase from this soundtrack is incredibly difficult, but I think I need to go with the song that is synonymous with the movie, Frou Frou's Let Go. It's amazing!!
23. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
This was the first "weird" record I listened to in college. Before college, I was pretty mainstream in my musical tastes. Whatever was on Q101 or 94. 7 The Zone at the time was pretty much what I was listening to. But this record left such an imprint on my subconscious that I still vividly remember the first time I heard it. I was in the on-air studio at my college station with my best friend Kev Kellam. He asked me if I had ever heard Yoshimi. I said no, and he replied with "It's weird, but mainstream. You'll like it." Boy, was he right. I still love this record, and I hope that one day, The Flaming Lips will return to this level of weirdness. Fingers crossed.
22. Rage Against the Machine: Rage Against the Machine
It never ceases to surprise me people's reactions when I tell them that I love Rage Against the Machine. They look at me like, "you like metal?" Yes. Yes I do. Although I'm not as into metal as I used to be in the early 2000s, I still, every once in awhile headbang. Whenever I listen to Rage, I feel like learn something. I feel encourage to read books and ask questions. I felt this when I was younger, and still do now. Rage's debut is an amazing record. From start to finish, it doesn't let up.
21. Beck: Guero
I feel like with Beck's 2005 release that I finally understood his greatness. Beck reinvents himself with every record he releases, one of the things I really appreciate about his now. But back then, I can't say that I "got it". But then I heard Guero. Guero is nothing more than a great alternative rock record that has great riffs and killer lyrics. It should me why Beck is so popular, and made me want to check out more of his music, which I did. Now I'm a huge fan of his, and I credit Guero for making me a fan.
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