9. Sonic Youth :: Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth = ( No Noise Sounds + Post Punk Aesthetics ) / Experimental Performance Art. Ok, maybe that's a bit pretentious, but they are the foundation for the indie-noise crossover in my book. While containing quite a bit of "washes of noise", the album contains truly memorable songs. Starting off with the killer "Teenage Riot" and segueing into "Silver Rocket" starts things off rather fast. But some songs are slower, instrumental pieces that show lack of regard for the typical verse-chorus-verse structure of "typical" pop or rock music. Most songs clock in around five minutes or longer. Nevertheless, even on first listen this album is quite enjoyable (compared to some that seem to need 5+ listens to crack). The double album contains both Thurston, Lee, and Kim singing on various songs, and some nice "spoken word" by the Minutemen's Mike Watt. The three part "Trilogy" ends out the album on a high note showing why this album is required listening for everyone post-1988.