First off I have to say that I am not willing to commit to a “favorites” list. These are 5 records that have influenced me greatly, possible the most, but I just cannot commit to having only 5 favorites!

Nirvana - From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
Ok, this is all-around my favorite Nirvana record because it captures just how guttural their sound
was. Nirvana was the first band that introduced me to raw, unrefined punk rock that also had a pop
sensibility to it. Much of the arranging I do with the music for Listener I most likely picked up from bands like Nirvana. Also, Dave Grohl is one of the top 3 most influential drummers in my life.
 
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle
This is one of the first records I remember really getting into. My dad used to play it in his truck and I just fell in love. I still love this record and I’m still uncovering new stuff within the songs. Listen to the slap-back delay they put on Doug’s drums in the middle of “I Put a Spell on You,” it’s incredible! John’s voice and guitar playing sound like something he HAS to do, like if he didn’t howl like that he would just explode!
 
Weezer - Pinkerton
I got this record when I was 14 and from the opening track it just blew me away. The blue album was probably the first record I ever learned to play on the drums front to back, but this totally topped it. More aggressive, distortion on the drums, and massively melodic duelling solo guitars. Plus the honesty of the songs Rivers wrote came through front and center. I maintain that there are only two real Weezer records, this and the blue album. After Matt Sharp left, everything went from great to just so-so.
 
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
I remember riding my bike to Blockbuster Music with $30 in quarters stuffed in my pockets to buy
this record. I thought my pants were going to fall down from the weight of all those coins! The album was $27.99 because it was a double-disc. Remember when CDs cost that much!? I saw them perform “Tonight, Tonight” on the MTV music awards and couldn’t believe it. This album taught me that you could put literally whatever you want on an album, because the artist should get to choose their output. I mean, they released “Zero,” “Tonight Tonight,” and “1979” as radio singles and they all came from the same album, that’s insane by today’s standard!
 
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Growing up, my best friend had an older brother who was into heavy music. I remember him wearing a Metallica shirt and I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. I wanted to see what it was about so I randomly chose to buy “Ride the Lightning” when I was around 10 years old. I couldn’t believe how heavy it was. The album still rules, in my opinion. It’s a masterpiece of metal, every song adds to the record and is composed so well. There’s no fat to cut from this one. This record opened the door to pretty much all of heavy music for me. If I hadn’t purchased this record, my mind probably wouldn’t have been open enough to accept much of the heavier music I’ve grown to love.