Voxtrot’s Ramesh Srivastava: “Nirvana, Bleach. For some reason I never owned this until yesterday, and I must say I’m incredibly pleased. As the American indie scene becomes more assimilated into the mainstream, it’s difficult to tell what is truly subversive, and this record reminds me of a time when that delineation was more clear.”

Two Gallants‘ Tyson Vogel: “Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman. This is a great record that straddles the middle ground between being extremely musically technical while also being really honest and palatable.”

British singing/songwriting sensation Jamie T: “Bran Van 3000, Glee. It was one of the first records that I loved and I still love it today. I love records with lots of different artists contributing to them and this is a classic example.”

Oh No! Oh My!’s Daniel Hoxmeier: “I know everyone has listened to I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass by Yo La Tengo a lot this year. And specifically for me, the song ‘Sometimes I Don’t Get You’ is about as good as it gets when it comes to pop songwriting. I should ever be so lucky to write a line as good as ‘This twig needs a trunk so that it can continue to grow.’”

[Photo:Getty]

Mastodon bassist/lead singer Troy Sanders
“Mastodon is currently listening to the new Neurosis record Given to The Rising. The Gods of Thunder have answered all prayers and delivered another incredible dose of raw and pure beauty in their signature style of relentless, dark and powerful heaviness. Neurosis embody all things of brutal and epic proportions. Those that do not get it should be very, very scared. This shit is real and this shit is amazing!” (more…)