Easy Star All-Stars - The Dub Side Of The Moon (2003)

There's lunacy, there's hybris and then there's megalomania. When in late 2002, NYC-based producers Michael G. and Ticklah announced to record a remake of Pink Floyd's masterpiece "Dark Side of the Moon", critics were mildly amused by the idea. Shortly after word was spread that they intended to redo the Floyd classic as a Dub remix album critics and fans went nuts. One year later "Dub Side of the Moon" was released and it became an instant success; with its biggest ace in the hole being the album's diversity, which unfolds as the duos experiments with varying line-ups and production techniques as well as a large range of styles, reaching from roots reggae and dub to more modern genres like dancehall and jungle.

1.) Speak to Me/Breathe

2.) On the Run

3.) Time

4.) The Great Gig in the Sky

5.) Money

6.) Us and Them

7.) Any Color You Like

8.) Brain Damage 

9.) Eclipse

         

Pantha du Prince - Black Noise (2010)

Pantha du Prince is a one man minimal electro project by German producer Hendrik Weber, who gained some fame in the late 00's working on Remixes for Bloc Party and Animal Collective. On his very eccentric third solo record, "Black Noise", Weber expands his musical horizon by including a bunch of guest musicians as well as experimenting with rather unorthodox instrumentation (using lots of bells and chimes). The result is a cutting-edge fusion of deep pulsing house beats, mesmerizing basslines and dream-like soundscapes. This is one of these rare albums that works just as fine on your headphones as it does on the dancefloor.

1.) Lay in a Shimmer

2.) Abglanz

3.) The Splendour

4.) Stick to My Side

5.) A Nomads Retread

6.) Satellite Snyper

7.) Behind the Stars

8.) Bohemian Forest

9.) Welt am Draht

10.) Im Bann

11.) Es schneit

      

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1959)

Only one week after finishing his work on the legendary masterpiece "Kind of Blue" with Miles Davis, John Coltrane "borrowed" Davis' session musicians in order to record seven of his own compositions. When, two months later, Atlantic Records released "Giant Steps" in the spring of '59, it would change the course of Jazz history forever. Anything on this album -from the third-related chord progressions to Coltrane's iconic melodic phrasing- was revolutionary for its time. Coltrane's greatest coup was replacing then common cordial solos with his virtuose saxophone improvisations, which at times equaled torrential outbursts rather than usual jazz lines - ultimately paving the way for modern jazz improvisation.

1.) Giant Steps

2.) Cousin Mary

3.) Countdown

4.) Spiral

5.) Syeeda's Song Flute

6.) Naima

7.) Mr. P.C.

                                         

Madrugada - The Nightly Disease (2001)

Somewhere between Folk and Psychedelic Rock Norwegian band "Madrugada" found its niche. On their second album lyrics and music are revolving around rather grim topics, mostly darkness, death and depression; resulting in dense, atmospheric compositions which are carried away by vocalist Sivert Hoyem's haunting croon. The flexibility of Hoyem's voice is simply stunning, ranging from Jim Morrison howls to Iggy Pop snot, eventually channelling Morrissey. Sad, beautiful, mesmerizing...this is melancholy taken to an art form.

1.) Black Mambo

2.) Step Into This Room And Dance For Me

3.) Nightly Disease, Pt.2

4.) Lucy One

5.) Hands Up - I Love You!

6.) A Deadend Mind

7.) The Frontman

8.) We Are Go

9.) Into Heartbeats

10.) Sister

11.) Two Black Bones

12.) Only When You're Gone

The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole (1997)

One year before Norman Cook a.k.a. Fatboy Slim gained world fame and catapulted the Big Beat genre into mainstream with "You've Come A Long Way, Baby", British producer duo The Chemical Brother released their second album "Dig Your Own Hole". While Cook's pop-oriented bubblegum beats appealed to a wide audience, the dark and menacing sound of the Chemical Brothers was clearly geared for the underground; but it wouldn't stay there for long. When Cook's record is the friendly neighbor from next door, "Dig Your Own Hole" is his psychopath twin, an evil-as-fuck crucible of hypnotic basslines, kick-ass breakbeats and hooks that border insanity. This is the kind of record that makes you want to do all the wrong things.

1.) Block Rockin' Beats

2.) Dig Your Own Hole

3.) Elektrobank

4.) Piku

5.) Setting Sun

6.) It Doesn't Matter

7.) Don't Stop The Rock

8.) Get Up On It Like This

9.) Lost In The K-Hole

10.) Where Do I Begin

11.) The Private Psychedelic Reel

Soulive - Live (2003)

Boston-based Psychedelic Funk trio Soulive was formed in 1998 by brothers Neal and Alan Evans as well as funk guitarist Eric Krasno. While Alan's drumming is often very hip-hop oriented, Neal Evans' spacy hammond organ sounds like something off of a 70's Herbie Hacock record. Krasno plays funky jazz guitar solos in the mellow style of such greats as George Benson or Grant Green. The melange of these very distinct playing techniques leads to a rare and exciting blend of psychedelic jazz-funk. This is the band's 2003 live recording, which perfectly captures the drive and groove of a Soulive concert.

1.) Aladdin

2.) El Ron

3.) Solid

4.) First Street

5.) Shaheed

6.) Dig

7.) One in Seven

8.) Lenny

9.) Turn it Out

The Good, The Bad & The Queen (2005)

"The Good, The Bad & The Queen" is the debut record by the British supergroup of the same name. Formed by "Blur" singer Damon Albarn in early 2005, the lineup consists of such legends as "The Clash" bass player Paul Simonon, "Fela Kuti"'s drummer Tony Allen, "The Verve" guitarist Simon Tong and "Gorillaz"/"Gnarls Barkley" producer Danger Mouse. Living up to the hype their music clearly exceeds the sum of its parts, with Danger Mouse's trippy production adding further edge to Albarn's gloomy Britrock. Where other "supergroup" recordings often lack consisteny and direction, TGTBATQ manage to keep it simple and effective, delivering minimalist, melancholic pearls.

1.) History Song

2.) 80's Life

3.) Northern Whale

4.) Kingdom of Doom

5.) Herculean

6.) Behind the Sun

7.) The Bunting Song

8.) Nature Springs

9.) A Soldier's Tale

10.) Three Changes

11.) Green Fields

12.) The Good, The Bad & The Queen

Tote King - Un Tipo Cualquiera (2006)

Born in Sevilla, Spain in 1978, Manuel Gonzalez Rodriguez a.k.a Tote King started his career in the legendary Andalusian Hip-Hop collective "La Alta Escuela". In 2004 he dropped out of university and released his first solo record, "Música Para Enfermos". Unlike other Spanish rappers who usually tend to imitate the hedonist approach of American Gangsta Rap, Tote King prefers profound, intelligent lyrics; many of them delivered  in the style of angry rants and poetry slams. The instrumentals by Big Ozone (who samples anything from roots reggae to Rage Against The Machine on this record) are as minimalist as memorable, many of them reminiscent of early DJ Premier. "Un Tipo Cualquiera" is a pleasure to listen to and (along with Tote's debut) arguably the most impressive Spanish Hip Hop album of the 00's.

1.) Empezamos

2.) Nosotros Mismos

3.) Ni De Ellos Ni De Ellas

4.) Bumm!

5.) Un ano mas

6.) Mentiras

7.) Interludio Osr

8.) Acuestate

9.) Merece La Pena

10.) Potines

11.) El Primer Día Del Resto De Tu Vida

12.) Lo Hacemos Asi

13.) Woh!!

14.) Progres

15.) Cuatro Minutos Te Escupo

The Avalanches - Since I Left You (2000)

When Australian sextet The Avalanches released their debut in the winter of 2000, it earned raving reviews by critics and became an instant classic among audiophiles from all over the world. With all their members rooted in distinct musical styles (from Punkrock to Turntablism) the Avalanches benefit from a sheer endless flow of input. On "Since I Left You" they finally manage to bundle these inspirations and unleash their full creative power. The result is a stunning tour de force through music history, an orgy of samples blended with original instrumentation. This is easily one of the most innovative and interesting records of the past 20 years. 

1.) Since I Left You

2.) Stay Another Season

3.) Radio

4.) Two Hearts in 3/4 Time

5.) Avalanche Rock

6.) Flight Tonight

7.) Close To You

8.) Diners Only

9.) A Different Feeling

10.) Electricity

11.) Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life

12.) Pablo's Cruise

13.) Frontier Psychiatrist

14.) Etoh

15.) Summer Crane

16.) Little Journey

17.) Live At Dominoes

18.) Extra Kings

                                         

White Denim - D (2011)

"D" is the third album by Austin,TX-based quartet White Denim, which marks a strong musical departure from their earlier records. Formed in 2004, they started off playing indie rock and have developed a very unique retro sound over the past decade. They play psychedelic 60's rock in the tradition of such legends as Jethro Tull or The Greatful Dead, driven by a progressive ryhthm section and jammy, playful lines by the lead instruments. The 10 songs on "D" continously float like a cool summer breeze and will leave you wondering how such ambitious music can sound so airy and laid-back.

1.) It's Him

2.) Burnished!

3.) At the Farm

4.) Street Joy

5.) Anvil Everything

6.) River to Consider

7.) Drug

8.) Bess St.

9.) Is And Is And Is

10.) Keys

                                        

The Budos Band - III (2010)

Staten Island-based 11-piece ensemble Budos Band first met in 2004 during jamsessions in Brooklyn, organized by Afro-Funk legends Antibalas. The lineup of the group is constantly changing, including various drummers and trumpet players, as well as a wide range of guest musicians. On "III", they fuse Afro-Jazz and pulsating Deep Funk, with a strong emphasis on the wind section as well as improvisation. The vibe of their music is generally very dark and psychedelic, with most of their tracks being gloomy jams rather than songs. Altogether, "III" is a fascinating and hypnotic creative effort, reminiscent of 60's/70's Spaghetti Western and Blaxploitation soundtracks.  

1.) Rite of the Ancients

2.) Black Venom

3.) River Serpentine

4.) Unbroken, Unshaven

5.) Nature's Wrath

6.) Golden Dunes

7.) Budos Dirge

8.) Raja Haje

9.) Crimson Skies

10.) Mark of the Unnamed

11.) Reppirt Yad

                                          

Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (2005)

  

The story of Brazilian singer/songwriter Seu Jorge's life sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie. Born in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, he spent his youth making ends meet, selling drugs and serving in the military. After his 16 year old brother was killed during a police raid, he taught himself to play the guitar and started writing songs. In 2001 Jorge had his breakthrough with his solo debut "Samba Esporte Fino"; one year later he started acting, playing the role of Mané Galinha in the Fernando Mereilles blockbuster "City of God". The idea for the "Life Aquatic Sessions" -an album on which Jorge plays Samba and Bossa Nova cover versions of David Bowie songs in Portuguese- came to him, when he accepted a supporting role in Wes Anderson's movie of the same name. The 13 interpretations featured on the record are of stunning magic and beauty, or how Bowie himself put it:"Had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs acoustically in Portuguese I would never had heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with.".

1.) Rebel Rebel

2.) Life On Mars?

3.) Starman

4.) Ziggy Stardust

5.) Lady Stardust

6.) Changes

7.) Oh! You Pretty Things

8.) Rock n' Roll Suicide

9.) Suffragette City

10.) Five Years

11.) Queen Bitch

12.) When I Live My Dream

13.) Quicksand

14.) Team Zissou

                                       

                            

Tom Vek - Leisure Seizure (2011)

Coming from a family of musicians, East London-centered artist Tom Vek started his musical journey playing drums and bass in his parents garage. On his 14th birthday his father gave him his first tape recorder, the rest is history. Vek became increasingly interested in the recording process and began to experiment with sounds as well as equipment -especially electronica-, teaching himself a wide range of production techniques. Therefore his music is best described as a homogenic fusion of classic rock instrumentation and effects/programming coined by his laconic, almost spoken-word like vocals. Even though most of "Leisure Seizure" was created with Cubase and Pro Tools, Vek's garage rock roots clearly shine through the production, giving the songs a raw, authentic edge.

1.) Hold Your Hand

2.) Aroused

3.) A Chore

4.) We Do Nothing

5.) World of Doubt

6.) Seizemic

7.) A.P.O.L.O.G.Y.

8.) Someone Loves You

9.) Close Mic'ed

10.) On A Plate

11.) You Need To Work Your Heart Out

12.) Too Bad

                                          

And So I Watch You From Afar - And So I Watch You From Afar (2009)

Explosive, threatening, hypnotic; there are many words to describe the sound of "And So I Watch You From Afar ", but predictable certainly is not one of them. On their self-titled debut album the Northern Irish instrumental rock quartet delivers pure creative genius. Somewhere between slow-grinding viciousness and manic outbursts, they manage to build impressive walls of sound. Though clearly inspired by 80's punk and hardcore as well as classic stadium rock and metal, their music is so diverse and playful that it hardly fits into any common idea of genre. Exciting with a capital E!

1.) Set Guitars To Kill

2.) A Little Bit Of Solidarity Goes Along The Way

3.) Clench Fists, Grit Teeth...Go!

4.) I Capture Castles

5.) Start A Band

6.) Tip Of The Hat, Punch In The Face

7.) If It Ain't Broke, Break It!

8.) TheseRiotsAreJustTheBeginning

9.) Don't Waste Time Doing Things You Hate

10.) The Voiceless

11.) Eat The City, Eat It Whole

 

Pony Bravo - Si Bajo de Espalda No Me Da Miedo (2008)

Krautrock, Blues, Flamenco, Reggae, 70's Rock, Afro-Beat...the list of Andalusian band Pony Bravo's musical influences is virtually endless. Their music resembles a dark and psychedelic mosaic of styles and eras, which knows no boundaries whatsoever. Mostly, the band plays percussive, rhythm-centered offbeats while lead singer Daniel Alonso hypnotizes the listener with his "Jim-Morrison-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown"  like vocal delivery. Records like these are the reason why people take acid, and I mean that in a good way! 

1.) El Pony Bravo

2.) El Rayo

3.) I Can See

4.) Lolita

5.) Trinchera

6.) El Guarda Forestal

7.) El Baile

8.) Fingers

9.) Arcanul

10.) El Piloto Automático

11.) Sunset

12.) El Sudor

                                           

Pete Philly & Perquisite - Mind.State (2005)

Dutch duo Pete Philly & Perqusite's debut album takes you back to the good old days of hip-hop, a time when rap was about telling stories instead of pimpin', drive-by-shootings and bling bling. De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest are two acts that will come to your mind immediately while listening to Perquisite's jazzy, laid-back instumentals and Pete Phillie's mellow, oldschool-ish rhymes. But Mind.State goes way beyond just being a  hommage to the "Golden Age" of hip-hop; it is a cleverly structured concept album, with each song describing a particular human emotion, a certain type of Mind.State.

1.) Intro

2.) Relieved

3.) Insomnia

4.) Motivated

5.) Eager

6.) Lazy

7.) Respect

8.) Cocksure

9.) Conflicted

10.) Grateful

11.) Mindstate

12.) Mellow

13.) Paranoid

14.) Cheeky

15.) Grateful II

16.) Hope

17.) Amazed

Yakuza - Way of the Dead (2002)

Yakuza's 2002 debut sounds like something Mike Patton and the Dillinger Escape Plan might record during a crystal meth binge. Vicious thrashing and grinding parts alternate with free jazz saxophone (!) solos and calm,  ambient moments. On top of it all floats vocalist Bruce Lamont's incredible voice. Lamont hums, sings, and goes ballistic, while the band takes its time to built complex, almost mathematical structures, just to finally collapse into raw chaos and apocalyptic breakdowns.  

1.) Vergasso

2.) Miami Device

3.) Yama

4.) Signal 2.42

5.) T.M.S.

6.) Chicago Typewriter

7.) Obscurity

8.) 01000011110011

                                          

Radiohead - In Rainbows Special Edition + Bonus Disc (2007)

 

After a mediocre live album and the rather weak "Hail To The Thief", Radiohead came back with a blast in 2007. "In Rainbows"  is their most songwriting-oriented album since "The Bends" and makes less use of electronic gimmicks than its predecessors, resulting in a very warm and organic sound. Radiohead's main achievement on "In Rainbows" is consistency; where some of their recent efforts lack substance or sound lost, there is great cohesion in these songs. Altogether this might be the most underrated Radiohead album, featuring some great b-sides on the bonus disc, most of all the mindblowing  Down Is the New Up.

1.) 15 Step

2.) Body Snatchers

3.) Nude

4.) Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

5.) All I Need

6.) Faust Arp

7.) Reckoner

8.) House of Cards

9.) Jigsaw Falling Into Place

10.) Videotape

+  8 Bonus Tracks on Disc 2

                                                                                                                                 

Le Tigre - Le Tigre (1999)

Formed in 1999 by ex-Bikini Kill frontwoman and riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna, magazine publisher J. Fateman and avant-garde video artist Sadie Benning, the NYC-based trio's music is as vivid and diverse as the band's  members themselves. Le Tigre stir half a dozen musical genres, such as hip hop and punk, till they get short easy-going pop songs  . From simple punk rock riffs, over retro wave hooks, to bizarre Star Wars samples,  this album delivers good clean fun!

1.) Deceptacon

2.) Hot Topic

3.) What Yr Take On Cassavetes

4.) The Empty

5.) Phanta

6.) Eau'd Bedroom Dancing

7.) Let's Run

8.) My My Metrocard

9.) Friendship Station

10.) Slideshow at Free University

11.) Dude, Yr So Crazy!

12.) Les and Ray

Boys Noize - Oi Oi Oi (2007)

Boys Noize is a house project by German electro producer Alexander Ridha, who made a name for himself remixing Bloc Party and Justice songs. The sound of his 2007 debut, however,  is hugely influenced by Daft Punk and old Chemical Brothers records. Oi Oi Oi is dominated by kick-ass breaks, heavily distorted french house beats and Ridha's trademark chainsaw synthesizers, that sound about as evil as if satan himself had played them.

1.) & Down

2.) Lava

3.) The Battery

4.) Oh!

5.) Let's Buy Happiness

6.) Arcade Robot

7.) Deny Selected

8.) Shine Shine

9.) Vergiftet

10.) Superfresh

11.) Wu-Tang

12.) Don't Believe the Hype

13.) Frau

14.) My Moon My Man

                                              

Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

Even though they were among  the leaders of the early 90's Lo-Fi movement, Pavement never actually made it past underground status. Too absurd the lyrics and too chaotic the arrangements, they remain a secret tip within the indie scene, their albums being considered modern classics by fans and critics. Stephen Malkmus, songwriter and ingenious mastermind behind Pavement, successfully copes with the balancing act of breaking with most traditional songwriting conventions and, at the same creating breathtaking caricatures of pop songs, as beyond the fuzzy guitars and lakonic vocals, beautiful Beach Boys melodies unfold.

1.) Silence Kit

2.) Elevate Me Later

3.) Stop Breathing

4.) Cuty Your Hair

5.) Newark Wilder

6.) Unfair

7.) Gold Sounds

8.) 5-4=Unity

9.) Range Life

10.) Heaven's a Truck

11.) Hit the Plane Down

12.) Fillmore Five