All of these records will make you want to smash all that arty-indie-folk crap you’ve been listening to and pick up some real music that won’t bring you to tears nor bore you to death. This is the soundtrack to the rowdiest night you’ll ever have.
Show You How to Rock ‘n’ Roll
by The Downtown Struts
On their debut record, The Downtown Struts mix fast rock n’ roll with a healthy serving of cowboy swagger. Show you How to Rock ‘n’ Roll starts off with front man Dan Cooper crooning to a country riff that leads into a kick in the teeth from drummer Zach Bryne at the beginning of “Straight Laced.” “Nothin’ but trouble” and “High Noon” are killer examples of the devil-may-care attitude and sincerity that the band represents. Don’t avoid this record unless you’re allergic to good times.
Guitar Romantic
by The Exploding Hearts
Adam Baby and company crafted a power-pop masterpiece with this record. Jams like “I’m a Pretender” to “Sleeping Aides and Razorblades,” paired with fuzzy production will have you wondering when exactly this record was made. Though it sounds like it could have come out around the mid-’70s when The Buzzocks and The Ramones hit the scene, the instant classic Guitar Romantic was actually released in 2003.
Heads Up!
by Death from Above 1979
This six-song EP shows us all that you don’t even need a guitar to rock the hell out. Before Jesse F. Keeler started DJ party playlists as one-half of MSTRKRFT, He was paired with Sebastien Grainger to create some of the most abrasive punk while being mindful not to stray into the sounds of grind core.
Rubber Factory
by The Black Keys
If you’re not careful, listening to this blues record could very well lead you into the dirtiest, sweatiest, pre-marital relations. Every song on Rubber Factory is a potential baby-maker with slow-cooked riffs and rich vocals by Dan Auerbach, complimenting Patrick Carney’s superb work on the drum kit. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
