Amazon's 1,000 albums for $5 through August. Many outstanding albums. Unless otherwise noted, X/100 scores are from MetaCritic. If 80/100 or better, considered "universal acclaim." 70/100 and above usually good chance at being solid, in my experience. If you want some specific direction as to your tastes or to stretch your tastes, comment below or email.
- Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More - Paste 91/100
- The Black Keys: Rubber Factory - 81/100
- Radiohead: OK Computer - can't go wrong with Radiohead
- LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening - 84/100
- Ray LaMontagne: Trouble - amazing, start to finish
- Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest - 85/100
- AA Bondy: When the Devil's Loose - it's the voice, acoustic/folk
- Jessica Lea Mayfield: With Blasphemy So Heartfelt - saw open for Avett's
- Black Mountain: In The Future - Under the Radar 90/100, ROCK
- The Rolling Stones: Black & Blue - c'mon, it's The Rolling Stones
- Matt & Kim: Grand - superfun pop
- Tokyo Police Club: Champ - catchy post-punk
- Andrew Bird: Noble Beast - always extraordinary
- The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever - Paste 80/100
- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Beat the Devil's Tattoo - love their sound
- The Dodos: Visiter - 83/100
- Sparklehorse: Good Morning Spider - always good
- M. Ward: Transistor Radio - 82/100
- Damien Jurado: Saint Bartlett - Pitchfork 79/100, great album
- Phosphorescent: Here's To Taking It Easy - 79/100
- The Tallest Man On Earth: The Wild Hunt - Pitchfork 85/100, acoustic/folk
- Atlas Sound: Logos - 81/100, love to work to this one
- Bad Veins: Bad Veins - can't remember how I found it, but so good
- The Clientele: Bonfires On The Heath - 81/100
- American Music Club: Love Songs for Patriots - 82/100
- Vic Chesnutt: The Salesman and Bernadette - always good
- Stars: The Five Ghosts - Paste 86/100
- Camera Obscura: Underachievers Please Try Harder - Pitchfork 80/100
- Blue Giant: Blue Giant - indie supergroup
- Phoenix: United - always fun indie pop/rock
- Spoon: A Series of Sneaks - c'mon, it's Spoon
- Belle & Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister - Sputnik Music 5.0/classic
- Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band: Outer South - Paste 86/100
- Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies - Dan Bejar of New Pornographers | 88/100
- Portastatic: Be Still Please - 81/100
- Avi Buffalo: Avi Buffalo - 82/100, love it so far
- Huey Lewis & The News: Greatest Hits - I love 1985
- Duran Duran: Greatest Hits - how hungry are you?
Jazz
- John Coltrane: The Ultimate Blue Train - c'mon it's Coltrane!
- John Coltrane: Giant Steps - it's STILL Coltrane!
- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Moanin' - classic
- Bill Evans: You Must Believe In Spring - classic
Classical
- 99 Most Essential Series: Brahms | Debussy | Chopin | Tchaikovsky
- 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music
- Check out all $5 classical albums
Things You Might Like, But Won't Admit