AllMusic 20: Matt's Faves

My list is alphabetical and starts with a bit of a cheat: the Action's Rolled Gold. Recorded between 1967-68, the album wasn't released until the mid '90s, and is not only a bonafide lost classic, but one of my favorite albums ever. Elsewhere, I had to represent some of the incredible R&B of the '90s, like Sade's Love Deluxe, which is one of those rare perfect albums. Although I do think Blur's Parklife is a classic, I more often find myself returning to the band's ambitious, incessantly melodic 1993 statement of purpose Modern Life Is Rubbish, which prefigured the Britpop invasion, and included one of the best singles of the decade in "Chemical World." As for the '00s, as much as I like to wait and see how albums feel when more time has passed, I was confident including releases like Frankmusik's exuberant and infectious Complete Me and Phoenix's United which, simply stated, are never more than a few clicks away on any player I own. Oh, and if you are a fan of raw, old school rockin' blues and vintage R&B -- and think nobody makes good music anymore -- get with Nick Curran. His 2000 debut will fix your head.


The Action - Rolled Gold
Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish
The Brand New Heavies - Brother Sister
Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret
Nick Curran - Fixin’ Your Head
Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Frankmusik - Complete Me
Janet Jackson - Janet.
Jamiroquai - Traveling Without Moving
Annie Lennox - Diva
Eric Matthews - The Lateness of the Hour
Morrissey - Your Arsenal
The Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty for Baby
Phoenix - United
Ride - Going Blank Again
Sade - Love Deluxe
Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun
Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix
TLC - Ooooooohhh...On the TLC Tip
U2 - Pop