My Musical Jewels

Going through my Spotify a few days ago has made me realize two things: over the past six years, my music taste has evolved to an extent I was completely unaware of, and while I may have discovered amazing new artists and genres, not many albums have impressed me much as a whole. It's much too common for me to find a new artist, listen to all their songs on a loop, but then find myself going back to only a few songs on each of their albums. Tends to happen to all of us, right? At the same time, it's much too common nowadays that an artist comes out with a few hit singles, but the rest of the songs on the album are just... there. Sometimes I think maybe it's because I can't get myself into the album, but then it hits me that it's not that I can't get myself immersed into the music, but instead it's the quality of the production, composition, or concept that turns me off. Granted, some of the times I've been unable to enjoy a complete album has been due to the fact that I've outgrown a particular "musical era".  However, in the midst of dissatisfaction with complete LPs and my ever-changing music taste, some albums have withstood the test of time. Without further ado and any more of my ramblings, here are my "musical jewels."

10. Art Angels | GRIMES

Being one of my more recent discoveries, I was quite surprised at how quickly I got into Art Angels. Having struggled with Visions and Halfaxa, I thought Art Angels would be a similar case, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. Ever since Grimes' debut of "Go" featuring Blood Diamonds, I was eagerly aniticapting her album despite everyone accusing her of "selling out" for going for a more mainstream sound. The difference between "Oblivion" and "Go" is quite obvious even for the first-time listener, but it's not necesarrily bad. Grimes takes distinct elements from both song styles to create a new sound for Art Angels—mixing the "old" Grimes with the "new" Grimes. Describing the style is (pretty) hard, but it's a dreamy, vivid and energetic chaos, and while I listen to it, the visuals I get in my mind are stunning and pretty awesome. Grimes' barely-there, almost undiscernable vocals are a turn-off for some listeners, but her voice is much more present on Art Angels which made it easier for me to enjoy the music and sing along, making "Kill V. Maim" my spring 2016 anthem and the rest of the album one of my favorites this year. Grimes is definitely not for everyone, but Art Angels is definitely worth a listen. 

Favorites: Kill V. Maim, Life In The Vivid Dream, Realiti, Flesh Without Blood, Pin, Artangels

9. Night Time, My Time | SKY FERREIRA

I'm honestly surprised Sky Ferreira's Night Time, My Time made it onto my list, but after listening to it for a few days, I realized I couldn't leave it out due to the fact that I still love its timeless sound. Night Time, My Time is the perfect album for those who love music from the 80s. The vocals, the production, the instrumentals... they all scream old-school pop. When I found the gem "Everything Is Embarrasing" in early 2012, I knew Night Time, My Time would be worth the wait. To be fair, some of the songs can feel repetive at times and its bass can get overwhelming, but whenever I feel unsatisfied with my 80s music collection, I know where to turn to. 

Favorites: You're Not The One, Omanko, Boys, Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay), Heavy Metal Heart, Kristine

8. Between Two Lungs | FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

It's so hard to pinpoint Florence's best album because each one is a masterpiece. Literally. But between Ceremonials and Between Two Lungs, the latter seems to hold more emotional significance in my music library. I will admit I first heard of Florence + The Machine through a Katniss and Peeta "fanmix" (yikes), but I loved "Cosmic Love" so much it later inspired me to see what else the redhead had to offer. Between Two Lungs became my favorite album of 2012, and deep talks about the lyrics and meaning of certain songs like "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" started new friendships that I wouldn't have made otherwise. (Shoutout to Valeria! We both know how much Florence means to our friendship.) Her powerful and emotional ballads kept me from feeling down during particularly troubling moments. To say I owe Florence my sanity would be an understatement. After four years, Between Two Lungs never gets old. 

Favorites: Hurricane Drunk, Howl, Drumming Song, Cosmic Love, Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Blinding, You've Got The Dirtee Love

7. Ultraviolence | LANA DEL REY

What would a music post be without mentioning Lana Del Rey? I was debating for a while what album to include, as I have enjoyed each of Lana's albums to date, and if I could, I would have included all of them. In the end, I gave the position to Ultraviolence for two main reasons. Reason number one: Auerbach. Being a major fan of the Black Keys, I was really excited—and curious—when I heard Dan Auerbach would be producing Lana's—second? third?—album. His influence was evident from the beginning when I first listened to "West Coast" and throughout the rest of the album. The guitars riffs and intro sample taken from "And I Love Her" by the Beatles in "West Coast" bought me. Secondly, I enjoyed the darker atmosphere, mood, and themes in comparison to Born To Die. In general, it seemed more like my style of music, and although I only got into the album last year, it's one of my favorites to date.

Favorites: Money Power Glory, Fucked My Way Up To The Top, Brooklyn Baby, West Coast, Shades Of Cool, Pretty When You Cry

6. Wounded Rhymes | LYKKE LI

Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li was one of the first "indie/ alternative" albums I ever listened to. I have to admit that I do not listen to it as much as I used to, but I hold it dearly in my heart as the album that introduced me to the alternative and indie scene, and well... to Lykke Li. After listening to her sophomore album I listened to Youth Novels, but found that I enjoyed her second album much more. Songs like "Youth Knows No Pain" and "Rich Kids Blues" will never cease to get me in a good mood and make me feel the teensiest bit rebellious. The uniqueness of Lykke's voice and wide array of instruments that she uses to compose a song are truly expentional and stand out in the midst of the alternative genre, easily making her and Wounded Rhymes one of my favorite female artists and all-time favorite albums respectively.

Favorites: Youth Knows No Pain, Rich Kids Blues, Jerome, I Know Places, Get Some

5. Electra Heart | MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS

Disagreement always ensues when Marina's "Diamonds" try to determine her best musical album to date. Some say her debut album The Family Jewels deserves to be considered her best—having the "authentic" Marina sound—while some give the title to her latest effort Froot. Her sophomore album Electra Heart is also thrown into the debate, but some fans shrug it off for being too generic, too "pop", and "not Marina enough". However, if there's one of Marina's albums that I could listen to over and over again, it would have to be... you guessed it... Electra Heart. It's no secret that Marina sought a different direction after The Family Jewels, working with well-known producers like Dr. Luke, Diplo, Greg Kurstin and Liam Howe on her new record. The result: a fun, upbeat—and at times—dark album. Although I will admit that Electra Heart's sound appealed to me more than the indie pop sound of The Family Jewels, making it one of the main reasons it was easier for me to enjoy, it's the concept and story of the album and the accompanying visuals that make this my favorite Marina album. Electra Heart is a concept album which portrays the four female archetypes and narrates the story of fictional persona, Electra Heart—story which has been much theorized and debated in the YouTube section of the videos. It's the dark lyrics hidden in cheerful tempos and the overall themes that make Electra Heart both a fun, abstenminded listen, and a music-for-thought record. And anyway, who doesn't love Marina's pink and girly era with that heart painted on her cheek?

Favorites: Bubblegum Bitch, Radioactive, Valley of the Dolls, Starring Role, Homewrecker, Power & Control

4. AM | ARCTIC MONKEYS

Feel free to call me basic for liking Arctic Monkeys' most "mainstream" album, but AM defined a particular moment of my life in high school making it a reason I hold it close to my heart. (I know, cheesy.) But besides the album catering to my then teen-angst feelings, AM delivers a soothing and atmospheric record perfect for a cinematic drive on the highway. (Not that I've ever done that before, I'm only allowed to drive around my neighborhood—but a girl can fantasize.) The lyrics are simple—but genius—and relatable, and fun to sing along to with friends sitting by a fire. (I've totally done this.) This is by far my favorite full-length Arctic Monkeys album, and I'll admit I love it because of Alex's gelled hair and leather jacket era and swoonworthy falsettos. But shhh, it's all about the music too.

Favorites: I Want It All, Knee Socks, One For The Road, Arabella, Fireside, I Wanna Be Yours, R U Mine?

3. Secondhand Rapture | MS MR

Oh my. MS MR. I first heard MS MR on a "zombie apocalypse" mix on 8tracks. "Dark Doo Wop" was a popular pick for zombie apocalypse/ end of the world playlists, and I'm not going to lie, it was a weird experience when I listened to it first time around. Lizzie's first line in the song goes: "the world is going to burn, burn, burn, burn". That's encouraging... right? Fascinated and intrigued, I looked up MS MR's EP Candy Bar Creepshow and was met with some of the most bizzare songs I had ever listened to at that point. (I'd listen to weirder by 2016.) It's not just MS MR's style that was particularly "weird" or new to me, but it was the themes and the lyrics that mainly took me by surprise. Candy Bar Creepshow and then MS MR's debut album Secondhand Rapture talks about society, dreams, death, the subconcious, an inner darkness, and the less "picture-perfect" aspects of a relationships. In general, the lyrics are confusingly "straightforward", but then there's "Ash Tree Lane": "Flakes of memory played by disease, have only seen what I wanna see"... whaaaaaaat? Three years later and I'm still trying to figure out what on earth that song is about. It's exactly this uncertaintly about the meaning of songs that I love most about MS MR, making them my all-time favorite duo—and Second Handrapture, their best work in my eyes. It's atmospheric, dark, and all kinds of perplexing. If you want some weird in your life, their music videos and original video edits are worth a watch.

Favorites: Ash Tree Lane, Head is Not My Home, Salty Sweet, No Trace, Dark Doo Wop, Hurricane, Bones, Twenty Seven

2. True Romance | CHARLI XCX

If there is one album whose songs I love equally it's this one. True Romance is one of those albums I didn't quite expect, anticipate or want to love. The synthpop style was pretty new to me when I listened to "Nuclear Seasons" on YouTube for the first time. At first, her sound was extremely new to me—and quite frankly, kind of annoying to listen to. "Nuclear Seasons" was the only song I could tolerate, but eventually I managed to branch out and embrace the rest of her album. I honestly can't imagine ever not liking this album. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me about music knows that I'll eventually mention Charli XCX and ramble about how much I love True Romance... and Charli. Sucker was definitely a satisfactory sophomore effort, with more of a "girl-power"-themed 90s-pop-punk feel to it, which was nice, but definitely not at the height of experimental True Romance. Its style is so unique, I don't think I'll ever get bored of it. 

Favorites: Grins, Cloud Aura (feat. Brooke Candy), You're The One, Stay Away, Set Me Free, Take My Hand, What I Like

1. No Mythologies To Follow | MØ

And last, but most certainly not least... MØ. Oh MØ, oh MØ... how you got me with this one. I have absolutely no idea how or where to start. A year before MØ was singing about all of us needing someone to lean on, Karen Ørsted debuted her long-awaited album No Mythologies To Follow and it was glorious. Absolutely glorious. If only you could see me squirm and squeal and fangirl crazily about her and her music. "XXX 88" and "Walk This Way" were two of the first few songs I ever listened to by MØ and I was instantly hooked. Her "Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls cover blew my mind, and I knew the wait for her full length album was going to be worth the wait. When it finally came out, I can recall listening to her album on repeat on my trip to Puerto Vallarta and coming back after my vacation, the album became my senior year anthem collection. "Walk This Way" is still my life anthem. The themes she tackles in her songs (society, relationships, millenials, idealism, etc.) I found to be quite relatable, and while her lyrics can meaningful at times, there are a few songs on there to simply have a good time to. No Mythologies To Follow never fails to get me in a good mood and is my go-to record whenever an assorted playlist doesn't cut it for me, and it's one of those albums whose songs I'm not the least bit embarassed to blast in front of my parents. 

Favorites: Fire Rides, The Sea (Night Version), XXX 88, Slow Love, Waste of Time, Dust Is Gone, Walk This Way, No Mythologies To Follow, Dummy Head

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What are some of your favorite albums? Let me know in the comments!