The Cure | Seventeen Seconds (1980)

“The Cure... made an art form out of dark simplicity.”
— Alexandra Heller-Nicholas in the book 1001 Albums
You Must Hear Before You Die.

I love the sparse, thin guitar strumming and melodies that predominate on this album. To me, they are not "dark" as much as they are "introspective".

The Cure is a brilliant band: They can make you think, and they can also make you put on your best British accent and sing "It's Friday I'm In Love" at the top of your voice.

Eminem | The Slim Shady LP (1999)

“You’re telling me to be positive. How am I supposed to be positive when I don’t see shit positive?”
— Eminem

That line pretty much sums up this album from Eminem. He writes poetry that digs deep into his rough experiences and fantasies of drugs, alcohol, sexuality, violence, and poverty. Not pleasant to listen to, but intriguing. The question: Are the lyrics interesting because listening is like watching a traffic accident or because it challenges our impressions of society? I don't know the answer.

Putin reappears after 10 day absence, tired but satisfied, promises no spoilers...

After much speculation about the reason for his 10-day disappearance from public view, Vladimir Putin has reemerged. The Russian President announced that he is "tired, but satisfied" after binge watching the complete 3rd season of "House of Cards". The Slavic strongman promises no spoilers "unless NATO continues its expansion plans in Eastern Europe".