Picking just five is so difficult. I have three of these on vinyl (Attack on Memory, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and The Moon & Antarctica), and the rest in at least one format. They all mean different things to me, and have deeply affected me. 1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot- Wilco, I've already shared my thoughts multiple times on this album.
2. The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me- Brand New, sometimes, you just need to feel angsty and yell lyrics out your car window while driving. This is the perfect album for the occasion.
3. Transatlanticism- Death Cab for Cutie, the quintessential Death Cab for Cutie album, this should be listened to beginning to end for full effect.
4. The Moon & Antarctica- Modest Mouse, there's a lot of debate as to the "best" Modest Mouse album, but this one is my favorite.
5. Attack on Memory- Cloud Nothings, the most recent release on this list, which came out in January of 2012. Incredible album for those of you that like aggressive lo-fi music with heavy 90's "emo" (see: Drive Like Jehu) influence.