1. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head 
Not my favorite Coldplay album but many do call it their best. I haven’t heard it in awhile so I thought I would throw it on the Ipod this week. I remember when Coldplay first started to get played over here. ”Yellow” had just hit Canadian radio airwaves. My buddy Rob used to work the afternoon shift and when he would get off work, he would head over to my place and we would sit and smoke a doob in his Jeep and listen to FM96 hoping to catch “Yellow”. We definitely had some laughs waiting for that song to get played, and that’s why “Parachutes” is my favorite Coldplay album. It reminds me of those laughs with Rob and it’s just a better album to get high to. Like I said though, I haven’t listened to “Rush of Blood…” for awhile, so that’s why it’s on here.
Queens of the Stone Age – Queens of the Stone Age 
I got into Queens before they actually were Queens. When I was 14, my Dad and his ex-girlfriend Simone used to take my brother and I up to Lake Simcoe for long weekend getaways. Up there we used to spend time listening to the CD’s of Simone’s cousin Fred. He had a pretty wicked taste for music and introduced me to the likes of Failure, Soundgarden, and a band called Kyuss. Listening to Kyuss was like doing drugs for me. I had no idea what they were, but I loved the feeling it ws giving me. Fast forward a few years and Kyuss magically morphed into Queens of the Stone Age. Most people prefer the “Restricted” album but I tend to gravitate to the self titled debut. The thing I love about Queens is that Josh Homme takes everything that was good about Kyuss and makes it just a little more digestible.
Radiohead – OK Computer 
Not really much that can be said about this album that every music douche hasn’t said before. I was never really a big Radiohead fan until OK Computer dropped. To me, this album was like taking a trip into the future of music. Everything about it was different and new. Since this album, i’ve been totally captivated with the music of Radiohead and even started to like “The Bends” a bit as well. “Climbing Up the Walls” is by far my favorite Radiohead song and one of many stand outs on this completely original album.
Blink 182 – Take Off Your Pants and Jacket 
I know, I know. Blink 182 is not a band I really liked to begin with, in fact, I felt that their first three albums were the equivalent of farting on a microphone. Yet this album changed my mind. It still had the Kindergarten joke fueled singles they were know for, but a few tracks started to show a more serious side of Blink. Tracks like “Adam’s Song” and “Roller Coaster” convinced me that these guys were capable of creating music that actually meant something. They proved me right when they dropped their last album, unfortunately, they broke up during the tour for it. Truly a shame.
Abandoned Pools – Humanistic 
A lesser known band (unless your a fan of Clone High) but a good album for sure. I came across “Humanistic” by chance. I had just discovered the wonders of Soulseek and I was pirating some fools folder and noticed the band name. Downloaded it. Loved it. It’s your basic Pop-Rock album but it’s done extremely well. The lead singer used to be in The Eels and quit to form this band. They have and E.P. and another album. Don’t really like them. This one is a guilty pleasure I guess.
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind OST – Jon Brion 
An amazing visually menagerie of a movie and one hell of an original soundtrack recording. Most people think it’s weird and stupid to listen to movie soundtracks but they are also the same people that think Beyonce is an “artist”. Sometimes “just” music is all you need to disappear. Not some crazy women running around draped in rags, freakin out and screaming like mental hospital victim. Brion has amazing talent and this is definitely his best soundtrack recording to date ( he also did “I Heart Huckabees”). Kanye West is a big fan of this album, that’s why he got Brion to come up with most of the songs off “Late Registration”. It seems that white guys can get funky too.
Matthew Good – In A Coma: 1995 -2005 
Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love the music of Matthew Good. I’ve been listening to Good since “Ghetto Astronauts”. For some reason his lyrics and music have always stricken a chord with me. It helped me get through some really hard times and for that I’m thankful. I’ve seen Good 5 or 6 times, and my favorite will always be the acoustic set he put on last winter at Call The Office. Only because I attended it with the 2 most important women in my life. My mum and Starr. My mum told some dude off for pushing her and I almost fought a gay guy because I thought he was hitting on her. Most of the time, you can’t take us anywhere.
TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain 
I got into TV on the Radio about 2 years ago. James always argues that their first album is their best but I really liked what I heard of their second offering. This one is a little more polished and radio friendly, but not by much. Their music is not catchy but for some reason I just can’t stop listening to them. Very much an enigma to me, but then again, maybe that’s why I like them.
(edit: after a few hours of thought, i’ve come to the decision that there is no way i can get rid of my little buddy. the cat stays.)
