This Is Steve’s Top 5 albums: (in no particular order)

It seems like other people were doing this one at a time, I’m doing them all together.

Desaparecidos - read music/speak Spanish (2002)

I only discovered this post hardcore album recently but it quickly blew my mind. It was released in 2002 after Conor Oberst returned to his home town of Omaha, Nebraska. He had already achieved success with bright eyes and created Desaparecidos as a side project. This.is.nothing.like.bright.eyes. Wow, driven by political and economical angst, the lyrics describe the twisted American dream, the commercialization of small town atmosphere, and the step on your neighbor to advance yourself mentality that had gripped Omaha. This album is loud and gets better with volume and time. I have listened to Read Music/Speak Spanish more than 20 times and it hasn’t gotten old, and I pray that it never does. Great songs are Mañana… and you know what… all of them. This is one of my favorite albums of all time, and all the songs are incredible. ... (but Mañana is omg need new pants good…)

The National – Boxer (2007)

I said that there was no order to this list. But I lied. This is my favorite of all time. Good lord. What I get excited about with music are songs that are never the same. You listen to them and they give you shivers, but in a different way than they did before. This is that album. I will say I didn’t go crazy over the national at first. But I came back to them after about a month and I guess something had stuck in my brain about all the songs. Boxer has the most intense, subtle lyrics that I have ever come across. It has the most intricate, simple melodies that I swear change and grow with ever listen. Backing up the melodies are the most brilliantly unique and catchy drum rhythms I have ever heard. The deep melancholy voice of Matt Berninger seems to mumble the words in a bored sort of way, but actually convey a sick desperation, and an apathetic depression. Lines like “another uninnocent elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults” are just… wow… I have no words, just the shivers down my spine.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)

What can I say? I love the arctic monkeys. And this album is brilliant. Bloody brilliant. It is just so much fun. It has been one of my favourite (that’s right: favourite) albums for about 3 years. This is the first album from the indie rock band outta Sheffield England. I’m not even sure if you can call them indie rock anymore but I don’t really care. Their third album is due out this year and I cannot wait. The arctic monkeys aren’t afraid to take the simple catchy melodies and play them on the lead guitar in the upper octaves, very reminiscent of the strokes. This album offers incredible listenability, you can sing along with all the instruments in your head. Great stuff. Get it.

Why? – Alopecia (2008)

I am convinced that the best music in the world is just “meh” on the first listen. Like Boxer I only sorta like Alopecia at first. It is hip hop, kind of, but in a way that you have never ever heard before. This is another “lyrically brilliant album” with just awesome songs that again give me shivers. Sometimes you have to read the lyrics to really get what is being said (at least for me, I am terrible at understanding lyrics in any kind of song). But I really encourage doing this, it makes the album so much more enjoyable. Why? Has certainly learned and grown with each album better than the last. (elephant eyelash is also sweet). But ya, why? You have to just accept the “white rap” and not be too weirded out by lines like ___________. Ok I realized I better not say them, this blog is affiliated with OSU after all. We don’t want our funding cut. (XD what funding?) so. Crazy cool lyrics that you understand differently with every listen. And yes sometimes sad and disturbing. But these guys know what’s up.

The Airborne Toxic Event - The Airborne Toxic Event

Alright this last choice was tough it coulda gone to like 5 different albums. But I went with this one, for good reasons. The airborne toxic event released this album last summer and wow. I listened to it ALL THE TIME. This is a break up album, but I’m not sure how to say that and not turn you guys off to it. It is amazingly different than any other song/album/music about that subject. THIS IS REAL. Like holy crap. You listen to this and you just feel his pain. It is crazy intense. I seriously can’t listen to this anymore because of how much it hurts. (but that is probably from other reasons :/). You might ask “why put it in your top five if you can’t listen to it?”. BECAUSE IT IS JUST THAT AMAZING! THAT’S WHY! I’ve had the chance to see them twice. They opened for the fratellis in September (they played their entire album AS AN OPENER. good god I needed new pants), and they played at the basement on march 1^st. At the first show we actually talked to them for like 10 minutes beforehand, it was awesome. Apparently the chick went to OSU. But fun fact (read as “stealth brag”) I had the privilege to design the poster for their show this year, through a sweet design internship with promowest. I might do a future blog post about that.