read between the runs

music has played a not insignificant part of my life for a while now. i am constantly seeking more spotify minutes and shifting and sifting through playlists. i keep a list of my favorite bands of all time, so i figured now was as good a time as any to try delineating my favorite albums.

to be considered, i must have listened through the album in it’s entirety at least two times. already this knocks out many albums. there are some i have favorites on but have not experienced them in the way the artist intended, so i felt that disqualified them from appearing here (the josh bokor way). in addition, i’ll also provide a quick explanation of why each album is meaningful to me. i think that will be therapeutic.

32. Long Lost*- Lord Huron (2022)

yeah yeah yeah, i also thought this was going to be only 30 albums, too. get over it. and i’ll be honest, this one is here just as a legacy pick and to act as a sort of bookends, if you will. some of the skits in the middle are cool, and i like the songs, but nothing has stood out as a powerhouse. though i like the album, i don’t feel nearly as confident as its placement as nearly everything else here. it’s still great work by a tremendous band, but i also can’t say it is as meaningful as everything else above it. and maybe that’s okay.

31. Mothership Connection- Parliament (1975)

straight up funk. nasty work here. i haven’t given this album as much attention as it probably deserves, but i know that it’s just so cool. i only learned about parliament by reading the fred wesley autobiography, and i am glad that i was able to read it if only to eventually hear this album. it is so clear that every person on this album adored playing music and doing what they were doing as you listen. i almost didn’t include it here, but when i think albums i need to buy, this comes to mind so i knew it had to be here.

30. MAYBE- Valley (2019)

i’m not quite sure what it was about this album that made me listen to it on repeat, but that’s what happened. it isn’t carried by a tremendously great song, there aren’t even many (if any) songs that i would consider never-skips. but i have really fond memories of playing maybe, sitting on my bed at laura and logan’s, and going to town on lesson plans and the edtpa, so here we are.

29. Entertain You- Bronze Radio Return (2019)

now here’s an album by a band that has steadily been falling down my list of favorites. this was the first album of theirs where i was already a fan as the album was released, so i put this thing on repeat a few times. looking at it today, the catalogue doesn’t blow me away and i don’t even like all the songs, but i remember just having good vibes only while listening when this one came out.

28. HIXTAPE: Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE- HIXTAPE (2024)

perhaps there is a bit of recency bias with this pick. maybe it’s nostalgia. whatever it is, the difftape has been going wild for me since its release. i did not expect to feel as excited as i have while listening to it, but wow, the songs are so great! this album is far from most everything else on this list, but i have genuinely enjoyed this album so much in it’s short life.

27. Panic Vertigo- The Wrecks (2018)

the first EP to appear on this list, it was through this band that i figured out that i like a bit of punk music. now, it’s certainly nothing crazy, but playing through this album solidified that thought in my mind. i have fond memories of showing some songs from this to people to get visceral reactions from them and learning more about the wrecks working in horan for the uph shop. i bet if this had a few more songs on it, this would be far higher on this list.

26. Wilderado- Wilderado (2021)

this is just a solid album overall. there isn’t anything spectacular here, but just good song after good song all the way through. while i was a serious runner there were days i would put this on and let it run because i knew it would keep my mind occupied. this is the first entry on this list where the album is self-titled, and while i don’t see that as a bad thing, i do feel it is a bit lazy. i only add that here because there just isn’t much for me to say about this album. i literally just listened to it as i was writing these, and i still didn’t get any more fun anecdotes.

25. Don’t You- Wet (2016)

i have always been intrigued by wet and her sound. she is super vocal and lyrical in a way that is atypical to my listening tastes. i don’t think i would quite qualify her sound as ethereal, but it has some qualities of being so. i was so struck by the aura of wet that i discovered more and more weird tracks that i liked the more i listened. with this album, i have strong memories of walking across the bridge to haas for my art history class. that was where i began my tradition of listening to wet before a big moment, but that particular song is not on this album, sadly. either way, wet’s sound is very appealing to me and i know that if i need something slow and melancholy, i can turn right here.

24. Offerings- Typhoon (2018)

i can’t remember clearly, but i think that this album may have been one of the first times that when i listened to the album through, i knew that i was listening to art. i have never seen an album flow together so smoothly. the transitions are deft and it sometimes feels like you’re listening to a single, 68 minute song because of the precision applied to starting and ending each song. this is another one i don’t give as much attention to these days, but wow, i still feel so impacted by this album that i felt compelled to add it here.

23. Dark Days- Harbor & Home (2014)

admittedly, this is another recent obsession, despite being one of the older albums present. i have been enamored with “summer lover” for as long as i can remember (college), and i recently gave this album a full listen. wow was it worth it. because i’ve had comparatively little time with it, i can’t fully describe the feelings created, but i distinctly remember thinking that song after song after song was a complete banger when i listened to it. now, they aren’t bangers in the colloquial sense of the word since the songs are quite indie, but they’re truly sonically fantastic. and traveling north listening to them is definitely a new summer move for each year.

22. Healthy Snacks- PEABOD (2018)

i promise that i did not choose this one based solely on it’s title, though it is very cool. this whole album has such a fun, upbeat rhythm to it. you can tell it’s independently put out by him, but that doesn’t hurt it. you can’t help but feel happy when you’re listening to healthy snacks, it’s that kind of album. i felt this strongly on some millbend loops back in the woodlands. i have fond memories of putting this tape on and letting us both go to work.

21. Off To The Races- Jukebox The Ghost (2018)

picking only two jtg albums was exceedingly difficult, so i went with one that i was actually a fan of theirs for at the time of release. they are my most liked band of all time, and i could not wait for this album to come out. when it did, i played it all the time and for anyone who had remote interest and came into my car. the first concert i ever went to was jtg’s tour after this album with alexis. the pure joy and excitement that i had going into it was surreal and i have yet to match it at another concert. the songs here are, again, just fun and cool stuff throughout. the slower songs don’t diminish its fun because of some of the just cool musicality they were able to infuse this thing with.

20. Joy in the Wild Unknown- Ripe (2018)

there was a period of time where i considered a favorite genre of mine to be “new jazz”, and a big portion of that is because of this album. when i listen to these songs, i have flashbacks of running in eau claire and at the chicago marathon because of how obsessed i had become with. while other albums may make you move, this one makes you GROOVE. big difference. the songs are funky and cool and so happy. i can just picture the whole band smiling while they play this album because it’s all just so happy, kind of like me when it’s on.

19. INSIDE- Bo Burnham (2021)

wow. here’s another one i almost forgot. when the special initially came out for this one, i was genuinely obsessed. probably beyond any other obsession i have ever had musically. i watched the whole thing through seven days in a row, and then some more times after that. what was done here is truly fantastic. to work on every single aspect by himself and with such a true variety of songs is an achievement that i will never be able to fathom. the range is astronomical, and the slow deterioration of his mental state is just…. i don’t even know. this is definitely an album worthy of it’s placement on this list. maybe these aren’t songs you would just listen to for fun, but i will and do.

18. you ruined new york city for me- FLETCHER (2019)

this EP stuck out so much to me in my head canon that i had to make a rationalization for including EP’s here and not exclusively albums. five songs is not a lot of space to make an impact, but fletcher really did here. there is not a song that i don’t love here. like literally love. i would have felt a gap on this list if she wasn’t here. when i think of this EP, i think of ruining eau claire for alexis. maybe that’s a bit dramatic and slightly egotistical of me, but that’s where i am. that’s never what i intended, but this album is inexorably connected to her and those final moments.

17. Bad Self Portraits*- Lake Street Dive (2014)

this album, and honestly lake street dive as a whole, entered into my life because of the title song from this album. once i understood how much i loved the song, i turned more to the band and fell in love with them. this album in particular stands out to me not because of one song, but because of the range on it. there’s soul, there’s fun, there are ballads with emotions and songs you have to dance to. it’s just a widely good album, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a mega favorite song.

16. Blink Once/Blink Twice- Arkells (2021/2022)

this is a bit of a cheat from me since technically these are two separate albums, but because of their connected theme, i am counting them as one. between the two albums, there are just way too many songs that are so good to not have them on the list. i can tell that the band just had an absolute blast while putting these together. they’ve shifted since putting these out, but i would love if they had a blink thrice in the mix because these are just too cool.

15. Birdtalker*- Birdtalker (2021)

i was just kind of getting into birdtalker when this album came out. i was blown away. i can remember where i was the first time i heard “old sob story”. i literally had to hold autumn back in the car so i could finish the song before we went into hobby lobby. the whole album grew on me as i listened to it more and more. it’s a very calm and relaxed vibe through most of the album, which i don’t normally go for, but in this case, it was perfect.

14. If I Know Me- Morgan Wallen (2018)

the second of two country albums. i really like country music, but rarely is it on a scale of enjoying an entire album. this is the exception to the rule. sure, there is some controversy about morgan wallen, and as much as i would prefer to listen to him less, his music is just dang good. while being a studious calc student, this was an album that propelled me through long, long, long days of nothing but math. i can’t quite describe it because i don’t know how, but there is a certain country sound that appeals to me, and it is basically just whatever morgan wallen did on this album.

13. Apocalypse Whenever- Bad Suns (2022)

some albums i hear about last minute, and others i hear about with enough advance notice to generate some serious interest for myself. this was part of the latter category, and it did not disappoint. the whole first half of the album is masterful, and the back half is done just as well! like, i can’t think of a song that was a miss on this album. to me, i will always think of the woodlands when i see that pink album cover or wear some blue sunglasses. to me, it’s a bit of a different, poppier song than their other albums that lean more rocky, but i didn’t mind the change at all.

12. TALKING IS HARD*- WALK THE MOON (2014)

talking may be hard, but liking this album is not! this is another (see below) one of the first albums that i really delved in to. obviously there is the mega-hit “shut up and dance”, but this album is not carried by that song alone. there are several other great songs that remind me of cutting wood frames for canvases at intech the summer after i graduated high school. sure, the whole album doesn’t go as crazy as some of the other top-echelon albums here, but the songs that hit, hit hard.

11. Lonesome Dreams*- Lord Huron (2012)

there’s a little bit more of that lord huron tax here, especially considering how long i held out from enjoying many songs from this album when i first discovered lord huron. that was stupid. almost all of the songs on this album are on the softer side, and i think that fits together really well here. sometimes that can be a drag, but today, i do not feel that way about lonesome dreams. of course, this being lord huron there are some exceedingly favored songs, but i am hard-pressed to find even one song that isn’t beautiful. different songs have different memories with this album in particular, but some that stand out are walking down the aisle, thinking of my big mans, studying on the second floor of davies, doing calculus, and exploring thailand. okay, that’e even more than i thought. but the point is, it’s an important album.

10. Hozier*- Hozier (2014)

this is another exceedingly early album that i fell in love with. hozier’s voice is something too incredibly beautiful for our world and i am so fortunate to have my ears be blessed by his talent. the slow, impactful songs here are amazing. obviously there are some standout songs that everyone knows, but i think that everything here is amazing. this album stands out during a couple periods of life, but what shines through is when i was student teaching at grantham and i was given control of a classroom for a week. it was a scary time for me. i didn’t want to teach middle school, i had no classroom management, and i was worried that i didn’t know the math. two things helped me through that week: ms. chandler, and this album. on repeat (for both). i felt grounded after listening to these songs and i still feel that way.

9. Vide Noir*- Lord Huron (2018)

i guess maybe this one should be a tad higher considering that i literally got it tattooed on me, but i think i didn’t want to overload the top with too much lord huron? sure, let’s go with that… (if this ends up as higher than 13, know that i made some changes) when this album came out on april 20th, 2018, i tried to be able to just sit and bask in it. i didn’t want any distractions, i wanted only music. that was a wild time. but this album was worth it! because of the ethereal quality of this album, i felt as if i was transported out of this world and directly into space. when music can move you in that way, you know it is special. and this album is strong almost all the way through. it’s tough stuff!

8. A Letter To My Younger Self*- Quinn XCII (2020)

this album came out at a very formative time for me. it was during the pandemic and immediately before i moved back to texas for school. i had a great summer with friends that i missed and wasn’t really ready to move out and live alone. i recall playing this album over and over as i drove down and after i moved in. it was a very lonesome time and feeling, which i absolutely leaned into, but i knew i had these songs to help me. i adored this album so much that i went and wrote a letter to myself, but somehow i lost it. i’ve tried to recover it so many times, but was unsuccessful. i thought about trying to write another one, but i know that i would never be able to recapture the love i had for myself in the same way, so i have left well enough alone.

7. Mystic Truth*- Bad Suns (2019)

mystic truth. this is one of those more rock-forward albums by bad suns that i was referencing earlier. and it is rawk for real. similar to lord huron, anything that bad suns puts out i will eat out of their hands. this album came out not long before i moved to texas the first time, and i remember playing these songs in the months leading up to my departure and for months after my arrival (that’s an allusion to the album). isabel and i would jam to them, and vern became a fan because of this album, too. the album starts so strong with “away we go” and i will always love it for that.

6. Phantom Pop- Wild Party (2014)

wild party holds a special place in my heart, based solely on the merit of this album. i doubt i would like them much at all if it was not for phantom pop. when i first moved to texas and would go climbing, i would put this album on the spotify, run through it, and by the end i knew it would be time to head out. each song is so light and exciting that you can’t help but feel GOOD while you listen along. nothing kills the vibe, everything pumps, and it’s weird synth mix is incredibly enjoyable.

5. Jukebox The Ghost- Jukebox The Ghost (2015)

probably the second album that i ever became obsessed with, and definitely the first band. i didn’t know what it meant to be a stan of something until i came across jukebox the ghost. this album literally turned my life over in that way as i sat on the dirty hallway floors of g-e-t high school. reading books? this album was on. driving home? this. running? duh. even today this album is still so incredibly special to me. i just love the piano melodies (and extension songs!) and rock that comes from only a three piece. i think i owe a great deal to this album, and will one day have that little ghost as a tattoo.

4. 94.3 The Reel- Kid Quill

this album is EASILY the most innovative and remarkable and impressive album on this list. i could make an argument for it jumping to number two based on merit alone, but nostalgia won out on this list. what this album does continues to blow my mind; it’s another one of those art pieces in musical form. sure, turning an album into a radio style narrative isn’t wild itself, but i’m just so impressed. the heart and innovation are present on every single song. technically speaking, this might be the best album on the list. i really don’t like listening to the radio, but this brings back a bit of that feeling while also only playing songs that you want to hear. listening to how openly kq writes these songs is inspiring. when i think of this album, i think of woodlands running, driving to houston, and being happy (after all the effusive praise, of course).

3. Rain and Laura- Wylder (2016)

you know, i’ve always been a bit perplexed why i love this album as much as i do. there isn’t anything here musically that is transformative (other than the connections “at the end”). the songs are flowy and simple and they blow my mind. i’ve probably listened through this album 15 times or more, and i just love it every time. the artist has fewer than 1/2 the monthly listeners than people who live in eau claire, and somehow i found this album that i love with my whole heart despite that. i wish i remembered how i first encountered wylder, but i am grateful for however that was.

2. The Heist- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (2012)

hearing same love from this album is what inspired me to develop and tabulate this list. when i rack my mind for the first album that i would truly listen through, not just because it was a CD or something wild like that, there is nothing that appears before the heist. noah mayer introduced me to the heist and i can’t help but think that that was an influential inflection point in my music listening hobby. no longer was it only disconnected songs on shuffled playlists, but songs brought together with a cohesive thought process. i don’t listen to these songs nearly as often as i used to, but this album was a gamechanger for me and earned its place high on this list.

1. Strange Trails*- Lord Huron (2015)

not a single surprise here. the second album released by lord huron has been the album that i have unequivocally listened to the most throughout my life, and i would venture that it isn’t even close. the connectivity of the songs is beautiful (a theme), the individual songs are impeccable, and the story behind the album only adds to the lore. george ranger johnson born on my birthday? it’s meant to be! i genuinely don’t think i could manage explaining all the ways that i have been helped in my life because i listened to this album. because of that alone it will likely always be my top album of all time. i am beyond grateful for lord huron and strange trails. truly, thank you.

do great; be happy