In the words of sonatafanica, SWOOOOOOSH!
35. Devin Townsend – Addicted! [2009]
I cannot think of another metal album that is simply as fun as this one. Sure it’s not perfect, but it’s such an incredibly enjoyable and at times entertaining listen. I think the Devin Townsend Project idea in general has been really fantastic, and he’s been streamlining his ideas to make some very coherent albums. But to me this is the one so far which really stands out (although obviously I have yet to hear Ghost) - his sense of fun and melody and knack for the epic are what attract me to his music, and this album has all of them in abundance, crammed into three quarters of an hour. Brilliant!
34. The Cat Empire – So Many Nights [2007]
Continuing the theme of fun music, I present The Cat Empire. They seem to have a handful of fans on here, but I don’t see them discussed very often. I’ve been a fan for a few years now, and when I’m in the right mood there is simply nothing more perfect. Their music is pretty indefinable, because it is so varied in tone and style. I guess Australian-alternative-latin-jazz-pop-funk-hip-hop comes close, but even that doesn’t really do them justice. For the most part their music is fun, but then they throw in the occasional emotional song that really hits the spot as well. This particular album is easily my favourite of theirs, because everything about it is so well executed. The tunes, the groove, the performances and the production are all amazing, and while most of their albums are very good in all those regards, this one really flows really nicely as well. And as Justin said when I sent him a song in his roulette: "DAT TRUMPET!"
33. Bad Religion – Stranger Than Fiction [1994]
There have undoubtedly been more important and influential albums in the history of punk music, including by this very band who were one of the early pioneers of SoCal punk, but while their early music has a lot of youthful energy to it, in my opinion it wasn’t until the 90s when they really started to hit their stride. I’ve been listening to them for years now, after checking them out on a whim when I heard that they were a major influence on The Offspring. And this album, for me, is the epitome of good punk rock. It’s fast, energetic, and melodic, and shows the band at the peak of their song-writing abilities, crafting simple, concise rock songs with amazing hooks and a great sound overall.