[Album] If you made a list of 5 albums that are REQUIRED LISTENING

Radiohead - Kid A
If you want an ear-opening album, this is where you go. Radiohead weave entrancing soundscapes of otherworldly beauty while still maintaining the rock sensibilities that put them at the top of their genre. Honestly, I'm a little surprised this wasn't mentioned yet. Most people seem to think that OK Computer is their masterpiece, but Kid A is so much more rewarding to me.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
To me, this album sounds like Kid A written fifty years earlier. Jeff Tweedy and company bring eleven songs that run the gamut from melancholy ballads to freewheeling folk rock, each highlighted with unique samples and instruments that perfectly distinguish each song. It's a shame their 2007 release isn't half this good.

Panda Bear - Person Pitch
The best description of this that I've heard is "a cross between The Beach Boys and The Velvet Underground." One of the best albums of this year, I think.

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children
Awesome Scottish electronic music duo pioneer IDM music with everything from trip-hoppy chillout tracks to haunting samples of unintelligible human voices. Warm, familiar, and unsettling all at the same time.

Okay, this last one is the black sheep.

Girl Talk - Night Ripper
Gregg Gillis samples something like 150 songs in this 40-minute long mashup that will make any music geek shoot his load in a second. Hearing the Yin Yang Twins accompanied by The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony is just the first combination that will blow your mind. A supremely clever work, and, as an additional bonus, is totally party-ready.

Jam it back in, in the dark.