ZACH THAT:

Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Pavement is responsible for indie rock. For this selection it came down between Crooked Rain and “Slanted & Enchanted”. Both albums are incredible, but I just tend to enjoy putting on Crooked Rain more often. The genius Stephen Malkmus wrote eleven of the twelve songs and they all drip with his irreverent sense of humor and unmatched guitar writing skills. “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” is the Citizen Kane of indie rock albums.
Favorite Track: “Range Life”

The Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs
Three volumes, sixty-nine songs, covering every aspect of love…this album just does it for me. Stephin Merritt’s deep voice takes the listener on a crazy adventure perfect for anyone who has just had a bad break up. It’s simple and complex at the same time, just listen to “The Book of Love” and you’ll understand that statement. The ultimate reversal on the romance album, “69 Love Songs” will be unmatched in its length and it’s examination of love.
Favorite Track: “Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long”

Outkast – Aquemini
This is an easy justification. Simply put, “Aquemini” is the greatest and my favorite Hip-Hop album ever created. Case closed.
Favorite Track: “Skew It On The Bar-B”

Of Montreal – Cherry Peel
Like The Fiery Furnaces, Of Montreal is my other favorite current band. They get put in an unfair category of being this crazy band that dresses up and puts on a good electro rock show. This saddens me, because, and yes I’m crazy, “Cherry Peel” (their first album) is up there with any Beatles album ever written. It’s lo-fi, heavily acoustic guitar, stripped down, and raw. If you ever doubted Kevin Barnes as a songwriter, then listen to this album and the conversations will be over. “Don’t Ask Me To Explain” would be in my top ten tracks of all time and “Montreal” really gives you a window into Barnes as an emotional songwriter. Before you judge Of Montreal, please listen to all their records (NINE LP’s) to understand how their sound has grown and how special “Cherry Peel” truly is.
Favorite Track: “Don’t Ask Me To Explain”

Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
I imagine this album would be on a lot of favorite lists. It’s a hard album not to love. One of the things I talk about constantly is how you can’t fake die-hard passion…especially with the vocal and Jeff Mangum yells through half this album, believing and living through each work he speaks. I think a lot of you would agree that it’s simply a transcendent album and for some reason reaches deep inside my emotions every time I give it a listen.