Joyce Manor - Joyce Manor (2011)
Official | RYM

Beautifully written, messily-performed emo/pop-punk. Nothing sounds quite like this particular performance.

Judas Priest - Painkiller (1990)
Official | RYM

If you like metal and Judas Priest isn't in your top five all-time then you don't like metal. Sorry you had to find out from me.

Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle (2015)
Official | RYM

Powerful singer-songwriter/slowcore with the timbre of Christian worship music and lyrics about substance abuse, depression, and mental illness. It feels inappropriate to call this the apex of all emo music but that's what I want to call it.

Kaatayra - Caminhos de água (2026)
Official | RYM

Incredible fusion between Brazilian folk music and atmospheric black metal. Black metal has always been attuned to nature, but traditionally in a cold, harsh, lonely way. This black metal is attuned to the warmth and life of the Brazilian rainforest.

Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert (1975)
Official | RYM

Keith Jarrett completely improvised this entire live performance, while sleep-deprived and wearing a back brace, on a broken rehearsal piano after a concert-booking went comically wrong.

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
Official | RYM

Massive, ambitious, eclectic hip-hop with consistent funk influence. Kendrick can definitely be criticized for his weird savior complex stuff but all the self-doubt and anxiety expressed here feels really genuine. And his talent and versatility is just undeniable.

Kero Kero Bonito - Bonito Generation (2016)
Official | RYM

Aggressively silly and colorful bubblegum pop songs about selfies, goldfish, trampolines, etc. Production is fantastic and sounds exactly like the album cover looks.

Kimya Dawson - My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess (2003)
Official | RYM

Quiet and intimate anti-folk songs with Kimya Dawson's characteristic simple, goofy sound. Despite her songs often sounding like innocent children's songs, she's never shied away from difficult lyrical themes and this album is a good example of that. Some genuinely harrowing songs here about addiction and abuse but always mixed with Kimya's trademark humor and positivity.

King Sunny Adé and His African Beats - Juju Music (1982)
Could not find official source. | RYM

Warm and uplifting jùjú music from Nigeria. Sort of a mix between Christian congregational music and complex Yoruba folk music.

Laurie Spiegel - The Expanding Universe (1980)
Official | RYM

Hypnotic progressive electronic/ambient. Still sounds futuristic even today. A lot of early glitch sounds before glitch music was really a thing.

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