Perhaps this is more along the lines of An Autobiography Through Music.
NOTE � albums listed are not all worth listening to, but they are still IMPORTANT *gateways* in my musical taste development!
My interest in music could start with Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Michael Jackson, aged 2-4. From when I was old enough to stand up and dance to MTV to when I could run around the house wearing sunglasses, singing "Whose baaad?"
Five -probably called Five? and their second album Invincible.
I cannot exclude five from this list, because I was more or less your typical obsessive teenybopper, so highly significant from the ages of about 11-13. It started when I boy I had a massive crush on gave me their cd for my 12th birthday�
Destinys Child -The Writings On the Wall (1999)
This album was probably some sort of cornerstone in my interest in American poppy R&B, although this was in the band's early days. I think it actually started as a reaction against my indie-kid sister; it was a phase of searching for my individuality or something. It was a crime of huge proportions to admit to liking anything she liked. And still you will often find me dancing to the DC when out with the girls... but sadly the album hasn't left my abandoned CD drawer in a long, long time� I got into everything from Lauryn Hill to Craig David from this point.
Idlewild -100 Broken Windows (2001)
I still remember watching the video for Actually It's Darkness on MTV2 (when it was called m2) with the volume turned very low, because I didn't want my sister in the next room to know I liked it. Not a bad album even today, probably the beginnings of my acceptance that I couldn�t fight the indie love�
Linkin Park �Hybrid Theory (2000)
It was around the time nu-metal became the in thing. As cringeworthy as I think of it today, at the time it really affected me, and encouraged me to seek out more and more, everything from korn to deftones, nirvana, even incubus.
Stain�d �Break the Cycle (2001)
I can�t even begin to explain how much this album affected me at the time. I was going through in unsmiley sort of time; my mum suddenly developed a life threatening disease that no one understood, which she�ll probably have to battle with all her life, and I took it pretty badly. Probably the lowest point I�ve ever been. I let a lot of things get on top of me, started worrying about everything and wasn�t doing too well at school. The pure pain of this album struck such a chord with me I refused to listen to anything else for literally months.
Do people listen to unhappy music when they are unhappy, or is it the music that encourages the unhappiness? Life and music are so deeply intertwined it�s a tough call in my opinion.
Ocean Colour Scene �Greatest Hits (2001)
To bring me back to indieness. A close of mine always used to play it over the phone, picked up some nostalgia along the way. From here I got into other stuff like The Verve and Dido.
American Hi-Fi � American Hi-Fi (2001)
I can�t entirely figure out where I made the jump to pop punk-esque music, probably from influence from different friends. The early days when we�d newly discovered alcohol and house parties. I loved it then, as for now I�d probably say no. Think offspring, new found glory days.
Jimmy Eat World - Salt Sweat Sugar/Bleed American (2001)
This band opened my eyes to a whole world of music I never knew existed. If it wasn�t for Jimmy Eat World I don�t know what I�d be listening to these days. I love it just as much now as I did then. From here I listened to stuff like Lost Prophets, Saves the Day- stay what you are and Thursday �Full Collapse�which later led onto my fully fledged emo-kid status.
Justin Timberlake � Justified (2002)
It was a gift from a cousin who vaguely remembered I used to like a boyband. Reminded me that pop music isn�t automatically shite. A classy album.
Benton Falls �Guilt Beats Hate (2003)
Here I joined the emo club with open arms. I became friends with different people who continue to influence my music taste. This band definitely marked a new era for me, and will always remind me of my home-boys; we all loved this so much.
Taking back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria deserve a mention. From here I listened to Sparta, The Mars Volta, Alexisonfire, From Autumn to Ashes, The Used, My Chemical Romance etc.
At The Drive In �Relationship of Command (2000)
I fell in love and I didn�t know why. Classic. Was around here that started listening to The Clash and Against Me!
Minus the Bear � Highly Refined Pirates (2002)
Is this my favourite band ever? Maybe. Before I heard this I had never heard anything like it. And I still can�t find anything similar. I got more into post rock from here, more open to anything quirky sounding.
�There's something totally honest and unpretentious about. Fast paced and intricate. Subtle and intimate. It's like summer on CD.� -Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004
Other significant contributions I have less to say about:
Death Cab for Cutie � Transatlanticism
Cursive � Domestica
Mogwai � Young Team
Explosions in the Sky -Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever
Sonic Youth � Goo
Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Cap�n Jazz �Analphabetapolothology
From a teeny bopper to an "indie-emo-fuck", it's been fun.
if we sleep together would you be my friend forever? | smoke your smoke, and move on...
