I have been listening to music for a long time, and I would like to share my top ten all-time favorite albums. Some of these you may have heard of and some you may have not.
Some genres I listen to are hard brutal slam, hardcore, grindcore, breakcore, house music, indie, folk, punk, crust punk, and a plethora of others. I enjoy ALL genres of music and would like to expand my taste even further than it is now.
6 Kiss
Arguably one of the most influential albums to ever be released is called 6 Kiss by Lil B the Based God. He created a new genre of rap that many rappers use today called “cloud rap”, which is used by artists like Bladee, Yung Lean and Lil Peep.
Released in 2009, 6 Kiss used the beat made by Clams Casino on his track “I’m God”, which originally came from the song “Just For Now” by Imogen Heap. This is arguably one of the most angelic beats ever created, and it was submitted through MySpace to Lil B at the time when it wasn’t clear that Lil B would like it or not.
Lil B used the internet as a way to spread his music around, just like rappers and other artists do today. He now spreads love and positivity everywhere on the internet, through Twitter and Instagram, where he follows all his fans back, and he has up to 1.2 million followers.
Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts
Everyone Asked About You is a Midwest emo band from Little Rock, Arkansas, that released the album Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts in 2022. This album is a must-listen, if you are looking for smaller bands to get into, and it is also a way into midwest emo as a whole, where you can discover other bands like Cap’n Jazz.
Everyone Asked About You has gone generally unknown to the public, even when they were starting to get popular. Thanks to apps like TikTok, more people are finding out about bands from the 1990s that have gone unknown for years.
6 Feet Deep
Gravediggaz is a horrorcore rap group from the 1990s that takes elements from Memphis rap and rhymes, making it into a horrorcore genre. 6 Feet Deep, released in 1994, is that one album everyone should listen to.
Gravediggaz hoped to shock the listener, by mixing horror elements with gangster rap, hardcore hip hop and heavy metal. They were the pioneers of horrorcore.
Gravediggaz eventually rose to popularity, with the single “Diary of a Madman” that went gold. They have been labeled as a classic hip hop group that created their own subgenre, so if you are interested, you should give 6 Feet Deep a listen.
Your Arms Are My Cocoon
Your Arms Are My Cocoon is an independent screamo/skramz band from Chicago, Illinois. Their self-titled album from 2020 is my all time favorite skramz album, and the sheer level of emotion and thought put into this album is incredible.
The screaming vocals tie it all together, as well as the dreamy guitar and drums used in some of the songs. These elements make this album an even better listen, as opposed to most skramz albums I have listened to. In large part, I feel like this artist really did revive skramz and screamo as a whole.
Se Bueno
Se Bueno is an atmospheric DnB breakcore album made by TURQOISE DEATH, and it was released in 2023. This album is personally great, and it really did open up their audience. The sounds found here are different from other artists, including bands like Asian Glow and others.
When you first listen to this album, it feels like you’re floating, with its break beats and atmospheric feeling. Breakcore music, along with its atmospheric drumming and bass, has been making a comeback in the last five years, with artists like *teeth, TOKYOPILL, Iwakura, GnB Chili and Dj Kuroneko. Se Bueno is truly an exploration of brand new sounds, as well as the inclusion of guitars and home drums, as opposed to software, in making beats.
FOOL 2 THA GAME
Volcano is a three-piece, hardcore/grindcore band from Ohio. Not much is known about them, but all you need to know is that this band released a great album, FOOL 2 THA GAME, and they broke up shortly afterwards, for reasons not discussed or stated.
This band really grabs the hardcore sound and incorporates it into something amazing. The track “Disciple” is one of their best songs, especially with its amazing vocals, drums and guitar. This band is also a part of Fix My Face Records, which is the same record label as Putrid Stu and other bands.
Just Got Back From The Discomfort We’re Alright
Brave Little Abacus is an American Midwest emo band that formed in New Hampshire in 2007, but they broke up in 2012. The album Just Got Back From The Discomfort We’re Alright is a classic among the Midwest emo community, and it takes elements from Cap’n Jazz. It has also gained a cult following, from 2013 all the way up till now.
This album does so much and gives so much to the listener, and it establishes Brave Little Abacus as one of the best Midwest emo albums of the 2010s. There are also other bands, like Modern Baseball, that have taken the reins when it comes to this genre. This album creates emotions, and in-depth feeling with the listener, and it does so by adding sort-of-nerdy vocals, with hard emotions in them.
Gaburger
Gaburger is the recent album by GEZEBELLE GABURGABLY, a former member of the MSG record label. She has been making music since 2019, and it’s always been great to listen to her music. If you are into snails, then her music is heavily influenced by them, as well as other insects you’ll find in your planters or garden.
This album has some really great songs, like “Predictable Shame”, “Slime” and many others. The Covid-19 pandemic gave rise to a lot of artists and it eally expanded music, especially for artists like GEZEBELLE GABURGABLY.
The World Is Angry, Absurd and Filled With Stardust
The World Is Angry, Absurd and Filled With Stardust, which I reviewed earlier this year, is an album that was released by Birdbath in 2020. This dreamy, lo-fi album is one of his best albums ever.
What I love about this album is that it’s different from what I have listened to before. This is one of those albums you can fall asleep to and then wake up feeling well-rested. It also has the feeling of your childhood summers, when you spent your days outside all the time.
Vespertine
Vespertine by Bjork is one of my all-time favorite albums. What she has done to music, and all that she has accomplished in her career, has changed the music landscape forever. Her influence today is still huge, and she is an avid supporter of Palestine and of what’s been going on for the Palestinian people over the last 75 years.
Vespertine is my personal favorite, because her vocals are raw, and you can hear everything she is saying. “It’s Not up to You” is one of my favorite tracks, because she sings about how your own actions are your own actions. Your life is up to YOU, and it does not matter what other people think. Every day, we want other people to accept us, but in reality we should not base our decisions on the opinions of others. Bjork tells us that we should just give life everything we have, and we should not have expectations for everything.
Overall, music is an amazing form of art to communicate and express yourself. Music as a whole has changed my life, and it has influenced how I feel differently now about the world around me, than I did years ago.
There are so many different genres of music to explore and listen to and it’s a great idea to expand your musical taste, but there is no need to be pretentious about it. And other artists you should also check out include Youtoremyprose, *teeth, The Marshmallow Kisses, Lamp, My Little Airport, Chestnut Bakery and The Neverminds.
