It’s been awhile, y’all. How’s everyone hanging in there? Good? Good.
While time allows with COVID running its course, I am going to do a bit of a retrospective on some music of years past. Everything from reviewing previous years top 20 albums to underrated albums and top one hit wonders. Y’know, things that everyone has an opinion on but no one really cares about? Well I have opinions, and as long as you’re here, might as well read them while I document them and laugh at myself 10 years from now on how my taste shifted. I’ll also do a few life posts here/there, or at least that is the plan at the moment. All TBD, as I am always good at picking this back up but never keeping it rolling.
Today, I am going to be sharing my favorite albums that wound up being the only formal release from the artist. No bands with sophomore albums, no bands that took 15-20 years to release album no.2. Strictly artist who, under their given name, only released one proper album. A few ground rules I played by below:
I am only focusing on albums during my most primitive musical upbringing, ie 1990 - current. Nothing antediluvian, as much as I wish I could have reached back to some of those great songwriters from the 60s.
I am giving myself a 4 year gap to respect, knowing some artists may come back around… so nothing later than 2016 will appear on this list.
By one album, I mean a true LP release. The artist can have EPs, live albums, mixtapes, etc. True, long-playing records only. Even if album 2 was shit or released on a tiny label, if it was officially released it counts.
Lastly, this was curated based on opinion and albums I grew up on. This is surely not the end-all be-all list, mainly just albums I loved, impacted me, or that I wish would have led to many, many albums.
Before we begin, the list I curated over the course of 2-3 months consisted of numerous acts that did not make the final 20. Some of those include Team Sleep’s Self-Titled album, Madvillain’s Madvillainy, Pure Love’s Anthem, and more. Worth checking out if you haven’t heard them before, but here we go - the official top 20.
20. New Radicals – Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too
Label (Year): MCA (1998)
Standout Track(s): “You Get What You Give”, “Gotta Stay High”
Gregg Alexander gave us one of the most radio-friendly albums of the 90s after two solo albums in the late 80s/early 90s, then seemingly disappeared once he dissolved the band in ‘99. Since then, he has gone on to write Grammy-nominated songs, work with artists like Santana and Hanson, and write/produce songs for the Adam Levine/Keira Knightley rom-dram Begin Again. The moral is… “You Get What You Give” still rings as one of the catchiest songs of the 90s.
19. Kwabs – Love + War
Label (Year): Atlantic (2015)
Standout Track(s): “Perfect Ruin”, “Walk”
Kwabs, the British songwriter who hit it big with “Walk”, dropped his debut in ‘15 via Atlantic Records and has steadily racked up over 120 million streams of that song alone (between the original and the Fetty Wap remix), but it is the strength of the entire album that impressed the most. A mix of pop, R&B, soul, even being declared the best pop album in the UK of 2015. “Perfect Ruin” is still one hellava song that leans more emotionally driven singer/songwriter, but as the “newest” album on this list, it’s a hopeful wish that this, out of all, is the one that stands the best chance for a follow up.
18. Mother Love Bone – Apple
Label (Year): Mercury (1990)
Standout Track(s): “Crown of Thorns”, “Man of Golden Words”
The story with MLB has been told over and over by the grunge aficionados. The band was fronted by ex-Malfunshun frontman Andrew Wood and consisted of bandmates that included a pre-Pearl Jam/post-Green River guitarist named Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament. The album, which has been a focal point of influence on the early grunge scene and later on the alt-metal genre, was set to be released just days after Wood passed due to a drug overdose. The album was held for a few months before officially being released, but with Wood’s death the band had decided to call it quits… ultimately opening the door for what would become Pearl Jam. Still, “Crown of Thorns” is one of the most criminally underrated and forgotten songs of the grunge era, but also one of the most important in the history books.
17. The Fire Theft – Self-Titled
Label (Year): Rykodisc (2003)
Standout Track(s): “Heaven”, “Summertime”
Another Pacific Northwest band, The Fire Theft was the brainchild of former Sunny Day Real Estate frontman and emo prodigy Jeremy Enigk. Enigk, after some solo work and Sunny Day’s second split, formed The Fire Theft from the ashes of those left from Sunny Day. The album skews more indie/alternative and less emo, which makes sense as the bands bassist and drummer both played with Foo Fighters in the mid 90s during The Colour and the Shape era. I always tell people if you like that album, there are moments of that Colour brilliance tied in with more piano/strings in the lone Fire Theft release. “Heaven” holds up well for being almost 20 years old, and “Summertime” gives off some deep vibe of what Death Cab would ultimately morph into.. and it’s been known that Ben Gibbard cites Jeremy as an influence.
16. InI – Center of Attention
Label (Year): Soul Brother/Elektra (1995)
Standout Track(s): “Fakin’ Jax”, “Grown Man Sport”
One of the more low-key albums on this list, InI (ini) was an upstate NY group was signed by Elektra and long/short, the album was shelved upon its completion. “Fakin’ Jax” was released as a 12”/single, hitting a cult-like status in the underground world and Center is noted as one of the most bootlegged albums of its time. It wasn’t until 2003 that the album was officially released. Somehow, as a kid who grew up on Puff Daddy and the Family, Big Pun, the Hot Boy$ and chopped/screwed of Houston, this album made itself to me in the late late 90s and really shaped my mind and impacted a lot of the rap/hip-hop that I like today. As Complex said, the album is a “lost rap classic”.
15. Ambulance LTD – LP
Label (Year): TVT (2004)
Standout Track(s): “Michigan”, “Sugar Pill”
Brooklyn boys Ambulance LTD surged in the early 2000s with their british-inspired indie/dream pop sound, signing with TVT Records (a once mighty part of Sony who released the classic Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails) and releasing their lone album. Riding the indie rock sound of the time, the band had music welcomed on The OC, Forgetting Sara Marshall, and Grey’s Anatomy. Not to mention, surely numerous Hollister stores. The album holds up as a nice piece of nostalgia, of a simpler time when indie music thrived and that sound that so many of us skewing into the Garden State generation resonate with. “Sugar Pill” is still a bright bop, and “Anecdote” sounds like it should belong on every single Dan in Real Life ripoff movie ever made. The band reunited in 2019 for a show at NY’s famed Mercury Lounge, but nothing, at this time, more than a quick reunion. Long/short: i’m not holding my breath.
14. Pacific Air – Stop Talking
Label (Year): Republic (2013)
Standout Track(s): “Float”, “Sunshine”
I will go to my grave believing “Float” is one of the catchiest indie rock songs written in the 2010’s when the breezy indie sound exploded. Pacific Air, who launched around the same time the world was introduced to Walk the Moon and Passion Pit’s second album, never really got the love they deserved but did tour with many like-minded bands, both the aforementioned acts plus Two Door Cinema Club amongst others. Once the band called it a day in 2014, lead singer Ryan started his solo electro-pop project Mating Ritual. A solid backup plan to Pacific Air, but not near the same for a band that had all the markings of being indie rock’s next darlings.
13. Audiovent – Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris
Label (Year): Atlantic (2002)
Standout Track(s): “Looking Down”, “The Energy”
Maybe one of the weirder ones on this list, but the late 90s/early 00s alt-rock sounds breathed heavy on this album. Fronted by Jason Boyd, more eloquently known as the brother of Incubus’ Brandon Boyd, the band merged a raw rock sound with the straight forward hooks of alternative. “The Energy” had a decent run on rock radio, and the album peaked at 156 on the Billboard 200, a moderate showing. A blink and you miss it type, which was a common occurrence for many of those 90s alt-rock bands who were born/released for the final death rattle of the genre. I imagine anything beyond this album would have wound up in a closet I had with thousands of albums from my radio days, probably unopened or listened to once - but this album and it’s single graced me at a right place/right time.
12. Collapsis – Dirty Wake
Label (Year): Universal (2000)
Standout Track(s): “October”, “Wonderland”
Another of those right place/right time in my life is this album. Even less (or more?) moderately successful than Audiovent, this album spawned a few singles, including “Automatic” which hit the top 30 on the rock charts in ‘00. However, it’s “October” that is fondly remembered as a song that hit me right after leaving Texas and sticking with me all these years later. Singer Mike Garrigan, who also played with college rock radio heroes Athenaeum, just had that college rock sounding voice, and has gone on to release a handful of solo albums.. occasionally getting the band back together for local shows in North Carolina.
11. Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Label (Year): Columbia (1998)
Standout Track(s): “Lost Ones”, “Doo Wop (That Thing)”
This album needs no introduction. If you know, you know. From winning a Grammy to rumors of why a second album never emerged, Lauryn is one of the unicorns of the industry that everyone has an opinion on. While i have said opinions, those are for another conversation on another day. Moral is, The Miseducation was a sparkplug of an album for an artist already so decorated. The album literally cannot be improved from its current state, but listening to it always leads to the ‘what if’ question of an album no.2. Maybe someday, but 20+ years now, i’m not holding my breath (anymore).
10. The New Frontiers – Mending
Label (Year): The Militia Group (2008)
Standout Track(s): “Walking on Stones”, “This is my Home”, “Mirrors”
Dallas, Texas’ The New Frontiers were relatively short lived. Initially named Stellamaris and releasing a self-titled EP, the band rebranded to The New Frontiers moniker and signed with scene indie darlings The Militia Group to release their debut/only album Mending. When you imagine something come from the now-defunct TMG (once-home to acts like The Appleseed Cast, Copeland, Cartel, The Rocket Summer, Acceptance to name a few) i’m not sure this laid-back, almost alt-folk with elements of indie is what you imagine. But this album was so beautifully done, chill, revered in its time in the scene. Paste gave it a 4 outta 5, AbsolutePunk gave it a 9.4 outta 10, and Yahoo! Music laid it out perfect, stating, ‘[Mending] stays grounded with a plethora of solid melody and stays on the edge of being epic without ever going overboard. I count myself lucky to have stumbled upon this one.” Eventually disbanding after some touring and the albums release, the band minus one member reformed as Low Dark Hills and released an lo-fi alt-country EP in 2014, but have been quiet since.
09. Jeff Buckley – Grace
Label (Year): Columbia (1994)
Standout Track(s): “Last Goodbye”, “Forget Her”, “Hallelujah”
A life lost too soon. Buckley’s tremendous debut showcases so much unfulfilled future promise of what would have certainly been a star for the ages. It’s a sound that is best left undefined by genre barriers. Rolling Stone put it best: “Drawing elements from jazzy torch singers, heavy-metal guitar heroes, poets, punks, and Pakistani Qawwali vocalists, it’s a sound that welcomes all, yet defies definition”. What makes this album, and any sort of live footage i’ve seen of the songwriter, is that he was wildly happy going where the music led him. There is something that is so pure and special about that. As a well-known fan of Zeppelin, Buckley, at times, subtly wavers into the Jimmy Page style of playing which is always welcomed in my book. For those who haven’t ventured into the Buckley catalog or videos, Buckley did a gnarly cover of “When the Levee Breaks”. Sadly, the story of Buckley turns to one of a life cut short. While swimming and paddling, and supposedly singing Zep at the top of his lungs, Buckley drowned three years after this albums release. His second album, which was in the works at the time of his death, made its way around the web and bootlegs unfinished and unmastered… and from what was heard it was going to be another solid effort for the rising star. What could have been was left as a simple what was, and what was was nothing short of wonderful.
08. Number One Fan – Compromises
Label (Year): Universal/Pat’s Records (2003)
Standout Track(s): “It’s Happening”, “Come On”, “Sorry”
Life presents you with opportunity that is often times passed on. For me, one of my biggest musical regrets was not going to the Number One Fan show in college. The band released one album, toured the world with Green Day right around American Idiot! (when they were still respected) and The All-American Rejects, played the Vans Warped Tour, and were set on a course for a lot of eyeballs to be on album no.2. And then, as the second album was being recorded - musical differences and a change of heart arose. The band, described as fitting somewhere between Counting Crows and The Cure, revamped as The Wildbirds and went more garage rock a la Stillwater in Almost Famous. The would-be second album for Number One Fan was released on a very small capacity (mainly just rough recordings and demos), but no proper LP ever followed. Not much has been heard of from the members since, and sadly Appleton, WI’s native band is a thing of the past. Thank god Spotify finally got the album up within the last year.
07. Mad Season – Above
Label (Year): Columbia (1995)
Standout Track(s): “River of Deceit”, “November Hotel”, “Wake Up”
Another one of those grunge supergroups, this one comprised of members of Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, The Walkabouts, and Screaming Trees. This album was recorded when all the aforementioned bands were either on a break or not touring/recording and was said to take about a week to track the entire album, plus a few additional days of vocals. The thought of that, for such a stellar album, is mind-blowing.
Layne Staley led the way with his piping vocals so many remember from the successful, non-bastardized years of Alice in Chains, and the album itself was carried by the single “River of Deceit”, which saw modest success on rock radio. Rumors were that in ‘97, all members sans Staley were ready to revive the supergroup for another go - but due to Staley’s worsening drug addiction (and ultimately, last live show unbeknownst at the time being a ‘96 AIC show) the group was left without a vocalist. Bassist John Saunders died of a drug overdose in ‘99, ultimately ending the band, with a final nail coming in ‘02 with the death of Staley. Mike McCready spun off follow-up iterations of Mad Season into other side projects with the likes of Duff McKagan - but nothing under the Mad Season moniker, and nothing near the level of what Above gave us. This one is better left in the history books with one amazing audiofile to relive over and over.
06. The Postal Service – Give Up
Label (Year): Sub Pop (2003)
Standout Track(s): “Brand New Colony”, “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”, “Recycled Air”
Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard… please give us what we all want. A round two. If Jenny Lewis should be a part of the plans again… so be it. But just give us something, anything. The USPS needs you now more than ever! While the band reunited in 2013 for the 10th anniv. of the album with a tour and re-issue of the album, the duo has remained dormant since, with Gibbard stating that the duo “disbanded” after the last anniv. tour date. What I wouldn’t have given to hear “Brand New Colony” live, but alas. The album in and of itself was one that helped bring new wave and that 80s synth sound back into the prominence during the indie boom of the early 00s. And, oddly enough, the album is only the second album in Sub Pop’s history to go platinum… the other being Nirvana’s Bleach. While I can hold out hope for an EP or an album later on down the road, or even a song, I will always have the memories attached to this one. The memory of hearing the album for the first time post-CD-purchase in my GMC Jimmy outside of CD Warehouse off the Northwest Expressway in Oklahoma City. As a DCFC fan, I was confused at first, but through 2 songs utterly blown away by what I heard. A feeling I still get when I pop this one up on Spotify from time to time.
05. Name Taken – Hold On
Label (Year): Fiddler (2004)
Standout Track(s): “We Give Up Sometimes”, “Cover Up”, “Panic”
For those uninitiated with Name Taken, the biggest takeaway for modern times is the song “Panic” birthed the name and lyric “Panic! at the Disco”. It’s known in the mid-00s circles that Brendon Urie was, obviously, a big fan of the band and this album. If it wasn’t for a small label, this album would have and could have been every bit as big as The Early November, Midtown, and other similar acts who had the push of indie emo/punk labels Drive-Thru or Equal Vision. The band, who released a handful of EPs and splits prior to their only full length, went on to tour with some of the mainstays of the scene like Fall Out Boy, Mae, and Yellowcard, called it a day in ‘05, coming back to play a show every now and then in the years since, and released a single in ‘18… but have no formal plans for a full blown reunion or sophomore album.
04. Transmatic – Self-Titled
Label (Year): Virgin/Immortal (2001)
Standout Track(s): “Come”, “Blind Spot”, “Gravitate”
To this day, this album makes it in my rotation regularly. You may remember this band briefly for being on the Van Wilder and American Pie 2 soundtracks or their brief stint on the charts with the minor hit “Come” but sadly not much more. They are often credited as one of the first bands to “break” and be discovered on the internet, leading to their discovery and ultimate bidding war between labels. With internet discovery being new, they signed a huge six-album deal with Virgin/Immortal but, sadly, only released their self-titled before breaking up two years after its release. The band has all but been erased from history, with the album not available on streaming sites and somewhat of a collectors item amongst deep cut alt-rock fans on the 2000s. Other than that, they are merely a footnote and trivia answer in rock history.
03. Them Crooked Vultures – Self-Titled
Label (Year): Interscope (2009)
Standout Track(s): “New Fang”, “Scumbag Blues”, “Elephants”
Comprised of Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), the supergroup went one-and-done with their ‘09 self-titled release. Pumped full of just good rock and fuzz, the band won a Grammy for their single “New Fang” and have teased (most recently in a ‘19 interview given by Grohl) of a reunion of sorts. What we wouldn’t give to have a new album drop in 2021 to usher out 2020… but until official word comes down and I hear a single, it’ll continue to be a pipe dream and this album will continue to be one of the best one-and-done’s in my book.
02. Magic Man – Before The Waves
Label (Year): Columbia (2014)
Standout Track(s): “Texas”, “Paris”, “It All Starts Here”
If you took away the fancy technology of Spotify and just played a song from this album without knowing the band name, release year, or any other info, you’d think this album was released a few months back. In the sphere of indie electro pop circles, it fits so nicely in the modern sound. The band did record a short-lived LP album with a slightly different sound and self-released in the early 2010s, but for the sake of this we’re counting it more as a mixtape, as it wasn’t really widely available or distributed. I swear the band was held back partly by their super generic name (that also doubled as a…uh… movie), but after tours with Walk the Moon, Sir Sly, and Panic! at the Disco, the band went pretty silent… to only tease their follow up album in ‘16, then officially come out publicly in 2019 with the news the band had called it a day.
01. Temple of the Dog – Self-Titled
Label (Year): A&M (1991)
Standout Track(s): “Hunger Strike”, “Say Hello 2 Heaven”, “All Night Thing”
No.1 needs no introduction. With the death of Mother Love Bone’s Andrew Wood (aka an icon and trailblazer in the Seattle grunge scene, see above), Chris Cornell, a close friend of Wood, wanted to pay tribute to his late friend, so joined the remaining members of Mother Love Bone (most of which turned out to be Pearl Jam later on, again, see above), they added this relatively unknown cat at the time named Eddie Vedder to add some additional vocals, and boom… Temple of the Dog was born. Used as a vessel to provide a tribute, the band only released one album, and really didn’t pick up steam for over a year until Pearl Jam released their debut and hit it big. From there, everyone took notice of the sheer brilliance of the album, best known for hits massive grunge hit “Hunger Strike”. The band got back together in 2016 sans Vedder, for the 25th anniversary of the album, this time with Pearl Jam and Cornell both being massive superstars. Sadly, the band will never exist in the form we knew it with the untimely passing of Cornell, but it’s best to be thankful for this gift that was left for us almost 30 years ago.