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