Four albums.

Jellyfish, always the height of fashion

Were you to scroll though any given music player of mine -- be it tankPHONE, tankPOD, computer, record player or what have you -- I'm sure you would see plenty of what you would expect. You might see a lot you don't recognize immediately, but there would be plenty of what you expect. However, there are four albums I have on me at all times that might surprise people. They are:

• Jellyfish - Bellybutton
• Jesus Jones - Liquidizer
• Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Godfodder
• World Party - Goodbye Jumbo

Why those four? I honestly don't know. While in my head they've all stood the test of time I'm not so delusional as to think they are not from a specific time. But the funny thing is that in the times they each spring from they were what I would categorize as mainstream underground. They were all on major labels but none of them rally belonged there so they were largely shunned by the record buying public and written off as pretty uncool by the indie kids. If anythin I view this quartet as perhaps the beginning of my honestly critical phase. They mark the moment I started saying "I don't care what you like or what is cool, there is something of value here and I am certain of that and I am certain that what I'm hearing hits me deeply." None of the four albums are high art but each it perfect for what it's trying to accomplish.

What four albums do you always have on you?