Disclaimer: This article was originally published on March 15th, 2020. It has since been taken off the website, edited and published again after the website's redesign.

15. Modern Baseball — You're Going to Miss It All (2014)

• Genre: Emo / Folk
• Stream or Buy: Link

Emo is easy to mess up. Many artists of the genre deal primarily in tapping riffs and relatability. Hormone-fueled punk-adjacent indie might even be fun (looking at you, Free Throw), but it is rarely more stimulating than garden variety commercial trance. "You're Going to Miss It All" is different: it hits all the buttons you expect of good emo, and also works if emo is not what you're after.

The record is a collection of secenes from the life of a young man who finds himself, to quote one of the songs, "stuck between his adolescent safety net and where the world wants him to be". It is very folky, with a steady, alt-country-influenced lyrical flow. The lyrics remind me of Jeff Tweedy's work: full of rich imagery, yet grounded in the experience of the common man.

I want to highlight two songs in particular. "Apartment" perfectly captures the high of having a crush that's yet to develop into something more serious. And "Going to Bed Now" is a rare example of a self-aware hatesong.

14. Leyli — Leyli (2017)

• Genre: Chamber pop / Jazz-rock
• Stream or Buy: Link

Those of you familiar with Israeli culture might know Gal Toren from his TV work, or as the front man of Mercedes Band - a popular Israeli funk-rock outfit. 'Leyli' is a side-project Gal created alongside a jazz bassist by the name of Guy Levi.

The record's traditional song sturctures and lush arrangements place it squarely within the 'Hebrew song' genre (שירי ארץ ישראל). Yet it doesn't sound derivative. I'd go as far as to say that their self-titled debut is better than the last few LPs by Yoni Rechter.

"Leyli" is full of melancholic jazzy goodness and exceptional drumming. The lead-off single — Baby — starts off funky before growing to a layered emotional climax. The opener — Sham M'Ever L'psanter — is a guitar-driven hymn to the joy of musicianship. And the closer — Nishbati Lachzor Elecha — perfectly encapsulates what makes Israeli music culture great, with its signature keys and strings.

13. Queen Moo — Mean Well (2017)

• Genre: Emo / Art-Pop
• Stream or Buy: Link

Queen Moo are not performing rock'n'roll — they are the physical embodiment of the genre. Playful, inventive, devoid of immature insecurity.

Queen Moo take all the best emo cliches and use them to elevate music that stylistically owes more to progressive pop. On "Mean Well", you'll find Pavement-style slacker rock, vocals that sound at once old-fashioned and incredibly fresh, harmonies that take pleasure in misleading you.

The band's other albums are also noteworthy, but lack the eloquent punch of "Mean Well". Regardless, you should keep an eye on this criminally underappreciated act, and see them live if you get the chance.

12. La Casa Azul — La Polinesia Meridional (2011)

• Genre: Disco / Shibuya-kei / Dance-pop
• Stream or Buy: Link

Mr. Guille Milkyway of the Happy Disco Dimension brings earthlings a clean-sounding, accessible pop record with tons of replay value.

The best thing about the album is the sheer quality of its songs. The melodies are catchy, the harmonies are delightful, every track invites you to sing along. Even if the album's production had been absolutely terrible, 'La Polinesia Meridional' would still make this list. The songs are just that good.

The second best thing about the album is the production. The attention to detail is phenomenal. Carefully picked synths, vintage keyboards and delicious disco samples help songs reach their full potential, but do not obscure any of their inherent qualities.

Over time, this record has become my own personal definition of "dance pop". It's worth listening to just to learn from Guille's artistic choices.

11. Tokyo Jihen — SPORTS (2010)

• Genre: Art rock / Jazz / Jazz-pop
• Stream or Buy: Link

Describing a band of Tokyo Jihen's caliber is a tough ask. Like Radiohead or The Beatles, Tokyo Jihen are a planet-sized band, with their own gravity and atmosphere. They don't belong to a genre, they define a genre of their own.

SPORTS is an incredible starting point for those new to the band. It's got everything — leftfield jazzy riffs, basslines to die for, melodies that take inspiration from both Debussy and 90s indie. Songs on the album range from prime-time radio hits to ambitious art rock anthems.

Outside of Japan, Tokyo Jihen don't get a quarter of the recognition they deserve. Even if you don't enjoy this particular album, I encourage you to listen to the band's entire discography — you're bound to find something you'll like. And definitely watch a live DVD or two. Trust me, they're the best live band on the planet.

10. Liron Amram — Halom Yashan (2018)

• Genre: Alt-mizrahit / Indie Pop
• Stream or Buy: Link

Mizrahit, Eastern-style Jewish music, entered the Israeli mainstream in the mid- 80s, with singers like Zohar Argov and Shimi Tavori. Ethnix and Eyal Golan topped the charts during the following decade, and these days it's the 'default' pop genre in the country, give or take. But the process of de-ashkenizing the Israeli underground took much longer. The era of alt-mizrahit is only just beginning, and Liron Amram is one of the finest artists in this movement.

I first heard of Liron in the autumn of 2016, when the eponymous single from "Halom Yashan" first aired on Israeli radio (thanks, Noa Argov!). That kicked off a painful two-years-and-some-change process of waiting for the entire album. By the time it finally came out, I knew most songs on the record by heart.

Liron Armam hails from a Yemenite Jewish family. His father Aharon is a singer with a number of wonderful, though niche, traditional music albums to his name. Hearing this heritage kindled anew — in Liron's modern, accessible manner — is truly a pleasure. Integrating Yemenite influences into a modern indie-pop framework took some effort, so the way the record works might confuse you at first. But once you get used to the flow, "Halom Yashan" becomes a page-turner.

9. The Last Shadow Puppets — Everything You've Come To Expect (2016)

The Last Shadow Puppets' 2008 orchestral pop debut remains one of my favourite records. It was masterfully produced, with impeccable string arrangements courtesy of Owen Pallett. Their 2016 comeback had a lot to live up to. And, thankfully, it did.

The music matured. The stakes got higher. The album contains genuine drama, moments of quiet contemplation, and an insane amount of sexual tension. The band and the orchestra are no longer equals — the prominence of overdriven guitars and dark-sounding drums makes the record feel much rawer than its predecessor. Songwriting remains spectacular, with a melodic focus you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. "Sweet Dreams TN", the album's climax, is a once-in-a-career song, showcasing a masterful command of expressive tools that give rock'n'roll its name.

8. Everything Everything — Man Alive (2010)

• Genre: Art pop
• Stream or Buy: Link

Man Alive was a perfect start to a perfectly disappointing musical career. This record set a bar so high, the band just gave up trying.

Other bands attempted to mix Gentle Gaint-style harmonies and indie rock, but never to such a degree of success. The end result is sophisticated, but incredibly modern and dance-able. What makes it work particularly well is that no complication is introduced without clear musical necessity.

Everything Everything shine the brightest when they borrow from 90s dance music. Two of my favourite tracks from the record — "Final Form" and "Schoolin'" — take advantage of repetition in a way similar to old school house, as means to explore subtle harmonic shifts. A similar dynamic, albeit with a distinctly baroque flair, can be observed on the album's closer — "Weights".

The band seemed to understand this strength — and focused on dance elements of their sound going forward. Sadly, this was done to the detriment of everything else. Their music got boring and borderline unlistenable. But don't let this spoil your listening experience — "Man Alive" still remains a brilliant record.

7. Inlets — Inter Arbiter (2010)

• Genre: Chamber pop / Art pop
• Stream or Buy: Link

Despite clearly belonging to the tradition of Sufjan Stevens, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith, "Inter Arbiter" refuses to be reduced to a sum of its influences. Deeply touching, full of amazing songwriting and intricate arrangements, it offers an identifiably distinct experience.

As far as I'm aware, the Inlets project was shut down shortly after the LP's release because of the artist's mental health struggles. This makes me consider how lucky we were to get anything at all — particularly, something as pure and awe-inspiring as this record.

6. Lamp — Tokyo Utopia Tsuushin (2011)

• Genre: Chamber pop / Jazz / Art rock
• Stream or Buy: Link

The Japanese chamber pop scene is unique. Its ancestor — the Japanese jazz scene — developed in relative isolation. American musicians didn't take it seriously, thus giving the locals the privilege of picking and choosing their influences. The end result was a cholent pot of various inspirations — from avant-garde to French songwriting to Brazilian samba.

These influences were key when, in the late 80s — early 90s, an indie scene started blossoming in Tokyo. Artists like Flipper's Guitar and Kahimi Karie carried this jazz tradition into the modern age, laying the foundation for the country's electronic boom.

"Lamp" are fairly conventional. Their arrangements aren't that adventurous. But this particular release showcases everything I love about Japanese jazz. It's groovy. It's life-affirming. It's tender. It just makes me extremely happy.

5. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)

• Genre: Art rock / Experimental
• Stream or Buy: Link

"Then into your life, there comes a darkness. And there's nowhere to hide. You run to the back and you cover your ears. But it's the loudest sound you've ever heard. We are helpless to resist, into our darkest hour. "

A Moon Shaped Pool is the musical equivalent of dunking your head into a toilet bowl. 10/10

4. Sudden Weather Change — Sculpture (2012)

• Genre: Noise rock / Art rock
• Stream or Buy: Link

The Icelandic band Sudden Weather Change was not a commercial success. Their first LP was unapologetically noisy and spunky, which made it a hard sell. "Sculpture", the band's second and final album, lacked the chaos of its predecessor, but made up for it with its use of unconventional artistic tools.

As a rule, modern recorded music lacks two important expressive dimensions. The first is tempo: typically, once you settle on a BPM, you stick to it. The second is volume: even the best rock records have barely any dynamic variation. But in the world of academic music, tempo and volume can make or break an interpretation. Setting them in stone for the duration of the piece robs you of creativity.

"Sculpture" shines precisely because it doesn't overlook these things. It breathes like a human being. High dynamic variation helps the album feel more vulnerable. It doesn't let you hide behind the safety of a wall of sound. Rhythmic fluidity, mistaken by some for bad musicianship, adds to that feeling, making for an expressive, romantic delivery.

3. Closure In Moscow — Pink Lemonade (2014)

• Genre: Progressive rock
• Stream or Buy: Link

With enough training, everybody can learn to play complicated music. The tricky part is making it sound easy. And 'Pink Lemonade', in all its virtuosity, is as effortless and sincere as a child's drawing.

"Pink Lemonade" is a concept album without the the weight. It is often complex, but the complexity never becomes a burden for the listener. Likewise, the need for narrative coherence doesn't get in the way of musical diversity.

Even though the meat of the album is heavy and progressive, the record as a whole has lots more to offer. "Seeds Of Gold", for example, is incredibly radio-friendly; in another dimenstion, I could imagine it being recorded by Maroon 5. "Mauerbauertraurigkeit" is downtempo and contemplative, a true testament to the exceptional range of this band. The album ends on a high note — with "Happy Days", an uplifting rock'n'roll anthem.

If you're looking for an album to rekindle your faith in humanity, this is it.

2. Between The Buried And Me — The Parallax II: Future Sequence (2012)

• Genre: Progressive metal
• Stream or Buy: Link

If you know me, you know that I really love opera. There's something uniquely captivating about long-form music of variable density. Arias are just cherries on top of the operatic experience. Passing leitmotifs, subtle harmonic shifts, and semi-spoken parts are equally important. You gotta have the whole thing.

But opera is an academic art form. The "rock opera" label is simply a way to market musicals to insecure straight people. Concept albums also fall short: no matter the plot, they're still just a bunch of songs in sequence.

Of all the metal records I've heard, Parallax II is the closest thing to an opera. It tells an 1,5-hour-long story of two people who can communicate with one another when they sleep. The music drifts from tonality to atonality, from arias to sprechgesang. If you at all enjoy metal or classical music, Parallax II is a no-brainer recommendation. It is one of the best metal records of our time.

1. Shai Tsabari — Shacharit (2015)

• Genre: Alt-Mizrahit
• Stream or Buy: Stream | Buy

It's hard to review a record that holds so much personal meaning. "Shacharit" came into my life as I first became observant, and became a perfect encapsulation of what being Jewish means to me.

Shai Tsabari is a pious romantic. The object of his admiration is elusive for a reason: there can be no love at all without love for the Creator. The two are necessarily intertwined.

This record has already cemented its place in the annals of Israeli music as a trailblaiser of a new kind of mizrahit. It's neither a rock LP with Eastern elements, nor is it a modern take on the music of the mizrahi diaspora. It's its own thing — unashamedly Israeli and unashamedly eclectic.

I won't claim that everyone will enjoy this record. But those receptive to Eastern music in general, or Jewish music in particular, are guaranteed to have a very special experience.

Bonus: The best song of the decade

Ironically, the song's album didn't make it onto the main list. Enjoy!