432 of 1001 Albums: Silver Jews' Bright Flights

Silver Jews doesn't have a ton of information out there about this album, and I assume many haven't heard of Silver Jews. They are a nice discovery though, and there are some good gems on this album that made for an enjoyable listen. The country channeled guitar and the mix of indie rock make for a flare that sounds unique. The slack vocals contrast all the care of the instrumentals with little effort though.

History: The album was released in 2001 and would be the fourth album from Silver Jew. The album was first proceeded by an EP with the song Tennessee on the album as well. The album is quite short as well, and released on an indie record company, Drag City. The album is a huge representation of indie rock that is out there. The band was founded by one of the members of Pavement.

431 of 1001 Albums: Dizzie Rascal's Boy In Da Corner

Grime music isn't one I'm familiar with, and this might the first I've ever heard of it.  Dizzie Rascal though is a lot different than other hip hop that I've heard. His beats are a bit different and the sound arrangements are quite unique. The album though does have some groundbreaking sounds, and some songs that sound really good, but there were some songs I struggled through.

History: Dizzie Rascal was only seventeen when this album was released, and it does sound beyond his time. The album was a critical hit as well. It even ranks in the top 100 of MetaCritic's top rated albums. The album was looked up to by many critics, and also would be a hit with audiences that discovered the album as well. The album also achieved awards, but seemed to be overlooked by the Grammy's.

416 of 1001 Albums: Common's Be

Common hit a lot of controversy and critical acclaim with his sixth studio album for various reasons, but it seems he garnered what is still considered a success almost eight years later so it must have worked for him. He brought in a lot of other help to put this album together though, most names you're probably familiar with.

History: I knew that some of the rhythm and instrumentals reminded me of another artist. Kanye West was the main producer for this album. It was received by audiences well and went on to be one of his best selling albums. Not only was it a hit with fans, but also the critics. Common's previous album, Electric Circus, had proven to be a failure, so the switch in record companies by joining with one that West owned showed that Common was ready for change as well.

410 of 1001 Albums: Amy Winehouse's Back to Black

I'm pretty sure I could feel this whole post with my love for the song "Back to Black." It gives the album an automatic 7 at the very least. There maybe other songs you remember better from the album like "Rehab", which is also one of the better tunes from the album. Winehouse creates the perfect atmosphere of vintage and modern in the album, and brings the sounds of classic R&B to the crowd of today.

History: Amy Winehouse wouldn't get the Grammy for Best Album of the Year, but she would be recognized as Best Pop Vocal. With comparisons to Macy Gray and Sarah Vaughn she was destined to become a classic in the genre. The album has been listed as the best album of the years 2006 and 2007 on several publishing lists. Though the album was a hit before her death, it became even more popular afterward with it topping iTunes sales list.

395 of 1001 Albums: Johnny Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash shows that he could make music for as along as he was alive and it never would lose the flare it had as when he started. He is one of the few artists that I know of who released an album with as big of hits as when he reached his peak earlier a couple of decades earlier. There are many songs on this album that are stands out, and you can tell it's now a man singing with a lot of experience in life. There is happiness, pain, loss, and hope all in this one album. It seems like mostly a guy just wanting to share his life though.

History:  Many of the songs on the album are covers from bands like Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Vera Lynn, and The Beatles. It seems like Johnny Cash took bands you would expect him to cover the least and he decided he would cover them. Johnny Cash would have this album nominated and winner of many awards including at the MTV VMA's, and at the Grammy's.

394 of 1001 Albums: Green Day's American Idiot

I think some songs on this album might be might guilty pleasure. I remember when "Wake Me Up When September Ends" was played at my high school prom and a goth couple did a slow dance to the song on the dance floor. Such sweet memories! Anyways, while every song isn't as strong as others on this album it does provide some good hooks, lyrics that make you think, and the wonderful pop rock sound. It also reminds me of better times of high school because the only good part was really the emotions I had toward music.

History: So in a first introduction of the word rock opera I found that it is essentially rock music united by a theme or story. Green Day created a rock opera on their album American Idiot after their songs for another album were stole in 2003. The album was a huge success upon release, and reached charts in many countries. It also was mostly a critical success as well, though there were some critics who thought the story wasn't consistent throughout.

392 of 1001 Albums: U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind

It seems that the best of U2 features the producer Brian Eno. He had disappeared from other efforts, but this one and the other I listened to, Achtung. It seems he has the magic to make their albums pop. This album reached a lot of critical claim, and once again after burning out with audiences on their previous albums they need something to once again revive them, so with the tenth album they rung in 2000 with a vamped up sound.

History: The album was much more well received than their previous albums they had doing for the past decade, and it returned to blend the sound from the 80's back into their music more.This album was also the first album to be nominated with two songs in one category for the Grammy's. A lot of the songs have personal meanings as well like "Stuck in a Moment" which was written by Bono after the death of his friend, the lead singer of INXS.

390 of 1001 Albums: Slipknot's All Hope is Gone

I think Slipknot can take the award for bleakest album title I've seen so far. All Hope is Gone instantly sets the stage though for an album that is rather depressing, and considering their bass player died only a couple of years after the album was released it makes the album just that much more bleak. There are some good guitar ballads, and even a nicely arranged song in "Snuff", but the hopelessness of this album is a bit much to take, and it took me several days to listen to.

History: The fourth album from the band shows the bands feelings and disappointments it seems with many things. Like for example the music industry and personal anger and other feelings they were dealing with that made the themes of the album. With better reception from critics this time around the band opened with a lot of buzz for this album, and increased the talk with whether they would be returning with their trademark masks or not, but instead just picked new ones to wear.

382 of 1001 Albums: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

I'm not really sure how I've made it this far and not heard of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds before especially with my musical interest in bands like The National and Pearl Jam. Nick Cave has a voice that sounds like a blend of the singers of those two bands, and then the music itself sounds like a crazy blend of many genres ranging from Celtic, to folk, to blues, to various other rock.

History: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian Band who released one of their greatest hits in 2004, and it only took them 12 days to record. It's been quite a hit universally with a strong critical reception.  The album was something that sounds like a little bit of everything, and contains so many songs that it had to be split into a double album.

378 of 1001 Albums: Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head

A Rush of Blood to the Head was an album I always had liked the singles I had heard from, but I had never listened to the album all the way through to know just how good the album is. There are songs less memorable, but ever song really is tremendously crafted to fit where it is on the album from beginning to end. Whether you're listening to the bigger hits like "Clocks" or listening "A Whisper" it's difficult to dislike the song.

History: The album was released in 2002 almost a year after the September attacks in 2001. This left much to be spoken about for the band on this album. Mostly though the band wanted to put out a positive vibe for fans with this album. They maintain the serious nature very well in combination with that. The album also garnered much critical attention with the band getting nominated for Grammy's and other awards. To this day this album is considered a classic in the music world alongside albums like Dark Side of the Moon and Rio by Duran Duran.

376 of 1001 Albums: Ms. Dynamite's A Little Deeper

Another famed hip hop artist from the U.K. is Ms. Dynamite who has two different versions of this album in the U.S. and U.K. They actually included two songs on the album that are just released in the U.S. that sound more like they were made for American radio. They even feature less British accented vocals. There are some nice songs on the album, but truthfully I can't say this style is my listening style.

History: The album was released in 2002, and met with critical welcome. It won a Mercury Prize, and has almost sold 500,000 copies in the U.K.  Not all critics were receptive, but enough to garner attention. For a debut album it did bring a lot of attention.  The album would go on to make three singles.

375 of 1001 Albums: The Streets' A Grand Don't Come for Free

The Streets are an unique rap group. The mixture of rap and instrumentals is unlike anything I've heard. Oddly, as the album is supposed to be, I really felt a story about a broken relationship happening even before I picked up on what the lyrics were saying, which turns out to be different than I thought. It also introduced me to the term, rap opera, which I had never heard before. While there is music talent to go around in this album though I do feel it more meant for the love of storytelling rather than listening for a nice beat.

History: The band is definitely more popular in the U.K. They've topped charts in their country with the single from this album, "Fit But You Know It" This album does have a story the listener can follow while listening though, and I highly suggest do reading about it or trying to follow to get more into the album. It's about a guy who has lost a grand and is trying to find a way to get back the money, so the album follows multiple ways he does that.