Directions: Think of 20 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that, no matter what they were thought of musically, shaped your world. When you finish, tag 15 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good.
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
This was the first vinyl I owned-- well, my parents owned and I re-bought after I broke it from playing it to much. I loved this album when I was about 12. I got addicted to the timbre of Van Morrison's voice and his thoughtful lyrics. Made me realize that old people don't really have the suckiest music. In fact its pretty cool.
Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly
Went to see these guys play during an Irish Festival on Harriet Island in Minneapolis, and was pleasantly surprised. Super fast paced, super angry... great music for my high school years. Emerald and I and her creepy old punker uncle went to see it. That was probably the best part, was that I got to share that with them. And as lame as it sounds to say that this is when I learned to mosh, its true. And my 16 year old self is still all about the mosh there. I am in love with the punk lifestyle, and this just cemented that love. It held a profound place in my life for that love...
Personal Journals by Sage Francis
Before this album, all I knew about rap was the commercial crap they play on the radio that has no lyrical merit to it. Sage Francis' Personal Journals is the first time I thought that hip hop might have something to it. Over a few months I kind of ignored this album, opting for my punk music instead. When I broke up with Joe the Hobo, I started listening to this album a lot. The lyrics are genius and I relate so heavily to many of the situations, or I did at the time. Coming off of an addictive relationship with addictive tendencies within it. Overall, it changed the way I view this particular genre of music.
Garden State Soundtrack
I don't know if this counts as an "album" or if this is me cheating, but its a very influential album. Its got that quality to it that makes it profound without necessarily a distinct reason. Its got the ambience of both heartbreak and falling in love, and I think that this became powerful right around the time those were both happening. And thats why this was, at the time, great for me. And had a profound effect on both relationships.
Franz Ferdinand by... well, Franz Ferdinand
This brings me back to nights at the Roseville 4, the cheapo theater in Roseville. Hung out with a bunch of friends there on Friday nights. Great times with them. Usually shenanigans were involved. We all went to this concert, and had a jolly old time. Dancing and laughing and downtown goodness. Late nights with fast cars and Franz Ferdinand. Thats what this album meant to me. Roseville 4. God that was the peak of being a teenager, haha. And this album was the backdrop.
The Shepard's Dog by Iron and Wine
This was burned for me by Taylor when we were still together. Its got those memories still attached to it. Its mellow, and its soothing and that was that relationship. Its still got those calm memories to it. And when I need to chill out after a long day, I remember back to laying around playing video games and listening to this album brings me back to a much more chill time. It had a profound effect on me in the way it chills me out without having to think about bad times or bad memories that come with a person usually. Just calming. Relaxing. Loving. Good.
Commit This To Memory by Motion City Soundtrack
I love this band. I have been to 5+ of their shows. The one that remember the most is when they came to the Rosedale Mall and I went with a few friends... that was a fun fuckin show. Lame as it was that they were in a mall, it was my first experience with them. This album is fast paced and crazy depressing. The lead singer has had problems with binge drinking and depression, and I guess the combination of those two problems led me to empathize with the lyrics. Without the craziness of the lyrics I would not like this album, but because of them I love it. I often find myself quoting this stuff when I'm up OR down. But it reminds me mostly of my ups. Because my friends and I loved it.
Goddamnit! by Alkaline Trio
Of COURSE there's some Alkaline Trio on here. It was hard for me to choose which album, but Goddamnit! was the one that I loved the most I think. Clavicle and My Little Needle and many other tracks are things that will stay with me. It continues to reach me on almost a carnal level. I love this band the more I listen to them. And this album has been one that I keep coming back to. As dark and twisty as the lyrics are, its always uplifting. It fits me right now, it fits me in this state of mind. Its something I can come back to and holds a place for me. Because of not only one but two men in my life. Its a good reminder of good times. Laying next to my old boy while he sings Clavicle in my ear... something that will always cheer me up.
If I Should Fall From Grace With God by the Pogues
Dating Joe, this was the soundtrack. Drunken nights, Irish drinking songs, drugs and sex. Of course we listened to the Pogues. Of course we listened to this album. Of course the beats were peppy and cheery enough to keep our trips clean. It was good stuff. Good memories, or at least what I do remember is awesome. Yeah. Stuff I can't really talk about except in vague terms, but needless to say, this matches up with my Irish period of music. And embodies it well. Old school irish rock. Rock out.
Sticks and Stones by New Found Glory
There is nothing for me to say on this album. It is honestly the big fucking question mark on the list. I hate this album now, but at one point I loved it. I can't really explain this in a public forum, but its very very important to me.
You'll Rebel To Anything by Mindless Self Indulgence
I have been to many of these concerts as well. I wrote a couple of papers about this particular subculture. I think that MSI's fans are some of the most interesting people I've ever met. I looove this band, and I loved them since I dated Kyle Foster in ... sophomore year? Yeah. They're interesting, and this album was the first that I listened to by them. I know it by heart, I can scream the lyrics while being bounced around vigorously. I think its one of the most fun albums I own. It pisses people off and weirds people out. What more to ask for.
A Lesson in Romantics by Mayday Parade
This song has a particularly downbeat spot on this list. This album I screamed to. I put it on in my car, and I screamed and beat my hands against the steering wheel and cried and screamed some more. I don't want to get into the hairy details, but September here in MSU was very very difficult for me. And this was the album of choice for me. Thus it makes my top 20.
Drunk Enough to Dance by Bowling for Soup
This band I first found at a KDWB concert, where they started their set by saying something to the effect of "For those of us that want to masturbate to pictures of kangaroos!" Of course my little 8th-grader brain was like "Oh muh gawd they're so counter-culture ILOVETHEMSOMUCH". But really, this was like, my bridge between crappy pop rock and real music. Granted, this is still not quite real music. But their other songs, not just that crappy 1985, were pretty good. It woke me up to look at real music on stations other than the clearchannel owned ones.
Deja Entendu by Brand New
This album was not an immediate life changer. It was a slow, gradual life changer. But that's why this album makes it on my top 20. Its cliche, but I think that this album is one that I can listen to in 50 years and still love. I listened to this album through my beginning of college and it helped me. Its range of emotion and beat.... it just fits my bipolar lifestyle. Its real and its powerful and its an album that I can continually find at times I need it.
The Terror State by Anti Flag
Everyone remembers their first concert. Mine, sadly, was Ricky Martin. [Remember, La Vida Loca? Yeah. My 10 year old self watched his sexy ass shaking. While holding my moms hand. Lame.] Well my first real concert was this one. And holy shit it gave me a new addiction. It sounds so 15-year-old-wannabe to say that I love moshing, but I did. And I still do. And I will continue to until my body gives out. I like fighting, but its socially inappropiate to get into fights as a girl. Oh well! Thats why I still go to punk shows. But thats not the only reason I love this album-- it's also my political views and love of punk music ALL over it.
Cocktails & Dreams by the Lawrence Arms
Great album. Don't know exactly how or why this influenced me, but I know it has. It was one of the first-er punk albums I listened to and it continues to grow on me. I can't be sure exactly why it made me want to listen to more from this genre, but I know it did. I hesitated to put it on this list because I can't articulate its importance to me, really. But I feel like it should be.
The Places You Have Come to Fear The Most by Dashboard Confessional
From one of my damn family vacations. I was away from the friends and people I loved... out in the wilderness. I was also starting to fall into my deepest depressive episode, and this album I guess furthered that process. Its not the emo lyrics or stupid pop-y backdrop to the album... its the fact that it really fit me to a tee. I know its cliche and whatnot, but I really do think that music has the power to either help or hurt a situation. Influence can be good or bad. This was a bad one. I never listen to this album anymore, for that exact reason.
When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint Dat Shit Gold by Atmosphere
This was a more recent find. Or rather, an old find that I recently re-found. It was in my backseat. Taylor burned this one for me a while ago and I never really listened to it. But then I did a couple weeks straight-- and I am reminded of the first time I listened to Sage Francis. It's intelligent and well produced. I like it for those reasons, and because many of the songs you actually have to listen to. At the end-- there is always a twist. I love it.
Dilate by Ani DiFranco
This would be... freshman year of high school. I had a fantastic group of friends, knew the ropes of the school... and then there was this guy. Who was a prick and only knew I existed to make fun of me. This album helped me get over my anger and hatred in a healthy acoustic-type way. To this day, I still listen to this album when I feel like hammering someone's head in, rather than my normal punk albums. More healthy. And I learned one of the songs on the guitar without looking it up! I was proud of myself.
Emotive by A Perfect Circle
This is pretty sad to admit, but this album reminds me of the summer of 07, at MDAW, my debate summer camp. It was a band and album I always loved, but I found fellow lovers of it at MDAW. Weird music choice for intellectuals? Nope. The lyrics and chords and tonality of this album resonate strongly with the physics and math. I hear you asking how? Read Goedel, Escher, Bach by Douglas R. Hofstadter. It'll make sense. It changed the way I look at math and music and the intersection between the two.
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