I love the question! I rarely listen to songs or playlists, and almost never algorithm based streams. Instead I put on albums I like. Even in my 10m-15m drive to work, and do that until I’m tired on an album. So, love the question.
Aesop Rock’s Integrated Tech Solutions. Being a long time fan I thought The Impossible Kid was fantastic. TIK was as creative and ponderous as anything he’d done, but often felt more accessible and personally inviting. While accessibility is not something you generally look for with Aesop, that feeling of being personal really made it pay off. Spirit World Field Guide was good and was interesting, but didn’t work for me as much. Maybe it was a case of enjoying TIK so much, and comparison being the thief of joy? But ITS absolutely feels top notch again. Love it.
Also worth mentioning is Powerman 5000. A year or so ago (while on a kick to my youth) I found out they were still making music and had released an album (The Noble Rot) in 2020. Shortly after I discovered that, they released one in 2024 (Abandon Ship.) They’re not great songs, but they’re all great vibes. The songs feel like they 3/4s to being great to me. Like they kept the dial at a 7 or 8 instead of turning it up to 11. And even when they did turn it up, it was only at the very end. Maybe he’s going for something different, or maybe I’ve changed, but the strength feels off. But damn the vibes are still there.
Kinda wild how when Aesop dropped TIK, it felt like his magnum opus. ITS feels like a continuation. SWFG is at it’s best when I’ve taken some gummies and sink into the couch lol
While I’m reluctant to call anything a magnum opus… You’re bang on about the difference between those two and SWFG.
Radiohead - Kid A
The age of consent by Bronski Beat. You can get some preview here: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-age-of-consent-bronski-beat/iiserdbkur9hc
Killer album. Here are a couple other places to find it:
Was, is, and probably always will be…
Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
Gilmour’s guitar work on that album gives me chills just thinking about it. Even after 30 years, Marooned still teleports my mind to some deserted island every time I hear it.
For real, that track is just 😙🤌 Gilmour might be my favorite guitarist.
Division Bell was a big one for me too.
I realize this may be a bit of a stretch for some, but an artist called Lindsheaven Virtual Plaza took the opening track Cluster One and made a sprawling 17-minute piece combining portions of the song with his own ambient additions… It’s a track called “Polydreaming Mall” from their album Transversal Worldwide Shopping… I’ve enjoyed listening to it many times: https://underwater-computing.bandcamp.com/track/polydreaming-mall
David Gilmour’s On This Island is a perfect album to play right afterwards ;)
All three Audioslave albums. I just love the fact that they gave Chris Cornell space and didn’t all try and overshadow his vocals.
I’m back on “Robbin the hood” from sublime. Old but fantastic.
Been ages since I’ve listened to it until just the other day i took it for a spin. Funny how much i still remember, even those ridiculous Raleigh soliloquies. That really is a great album, crazy how young they were making such good music
Ha! Just listened to that one this morning. The bassline in greatest hits always gets me
Devin Townsend’s PowerNerd. “I love petting the cat!” 🐱
“Enn” by Eivør, simply amazing! Was on a concert a few weeks back, totalt 600 people and it was a blast!
Have a listen: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mfYUyMRk-zYA1V1Z04a7GGB106N2JT5vU
My wife saw her last week with a band called Heilung. That looked pretty out the gates
What a night! How were Heilung live if I may ask? I’ve been thinking of going to their show here in February.
Dude she showed some videos and it looked unreal. Full disclosure, we are both not into this type of music. Despite that, she said it was probably one of the best concerts she’d ever seen.
We live in New Zealand, and the group had joined forces with a local group of Maori performers who blended in their own cultural practices. It seems like they went above and beyond to tailor their performance to the local setting and honouring native practices here.
I’m really sad I didn’t join, but occasionally you have to give the wife a girls night out.
What an awesome show that must have been! Maybe I have to really go then!
“Spirit Of Eden” by Talk Talk.
Like a friend said when I showed it to him - “Damn, that sounds like Radiohead ten years before Radiohead!” Yeah, and even more sublime.Low – Long Division (and actually any Low album at the moment)
I still remember when Double Negative was released, knocked me off my feet even as a long time fan of records like that and TWLITF. RIP Mimi 😢
Treat yourself to Fontaines DC’s new album “Romance”!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kZT0QOARqqnSdN_UcUN0qBfANvv4hvaq0
I played this in my house when it came out because I liked Skinty Fia; my kid immediately said “play that again please, the whole album”. I love it!
Module has always been my soundtrack through hard times, and I was fortunate enough to get a signed copy of this album.
It’s a pretty well-constructed compilation and I think it’s worth a listen, no matter what you typically like.
But uh… I might be biased:
Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
(At this moment, it changes frequently)
Of all time, The Cure’s Disintegration. Lately, it’s been Kangding Ray’s Zero. Exactly what you need from a great techno record
At this moment -
The Boy Bands Have Won by Chumbawumba.
It had been taken off Spotify for a while but it’s back and I can’t get enough.
