In my advanced age I have made peace with the fact that one is going to be less receptive to new music. What albums can you honestly say shaped your taste forever? Let’s try limit it to three each - i know it’s difficult. For reference i “matured” in the very late 90’s/early ‘00’s.
I’ll go first:
”Goo” - Sonic Youth
i used to get my music from the nicest guy with a used CD stand in this square in Stellenbosch - i bought this off him and it showed me real swagger in the age of angst. I know this is considered bit watered-down on account of being Sonic Youth’s major label debut but i maintain that it is the perfect balance between pop sensibility and avant-garde noise. Certainly a cooler thing has never existed than Kim Gordon cooing “What are you going to do for me, are you going to liberate us girls from white, male, corporate oppression?”
Fave track: Mote OR Titanium Exposé - always loved Lee Ranaldo’s sublime contributions
“Loveless” - My Bloody Valentine
Similarly, the album that bankrupted Creation Records is absolutely transcendental - you dont want to look too closely at how the sausage was made but it is barely believable that this was made by a guitar band. Kevin Shields of course is famous for being a crazy sonic scientist, but under the hood these are fantastic pop songs barely peeking out over the din of a vacuum cleaner. Got a bit of mainstream recognition when “Sometimes” was used at the emotional peak of Lost in Translation.
Also picked this up at the same CD stand mentioned above.
Fave track: When you Sleep is just pure joy.
“Spiderland” - Slint
It’s become commonplace to cite this as a formative influence but i recall the days i’d seen this being discussed in hushed tones in music nerd forums. I had to order this from Amazon back in the day and its hard to imagine just how unprecedented this was in its time. The band probably never caught on because they had zero charisma but a LOT of current guitar music owes a massive debt to them.
Fave track: Washer is the perfect tension/release track with it’s mournful motif and unbelievably awkward vocals. “I felt embarassed for him”, the late great Steve Albini said of recording the vocal.
Honourable mention to the chord that closes Nosferatu Man as my favourite moment.
That’s my three and i didn’t even get to mention Wire’s opening trifecta!