albums you should have if you don’t already

ok ok. i know it’s been a while and i’ve been slacking terribly. first off, happy 2009!  hopefully, you all had an excellent holiday/new years/time off.  my holiday season went alright, though not without it’s share of drama…

anywho, i’ve got a lot of music on my external, some i love, some i swear by, some i have no idea how i got it.  as always, i highly enjoy sharing music, so here is a brief list of albums that i have that i think you should too.  some are sorta-obscure while others are by known artists, but you may just not have this particular album and i think you should. enough explaining, let’s get to it shall we…

isobel campbell – amorino
the original ‘belle’ of belle & sebastian, isobel campbell’s first solo album mixes the school-girl sound of her former group with a little bit of lullaby infused with some whimsical synth and orchestral sounds. this is definitely an album to chill to, maybe listen while reading, cooking, falling asleep, or just general downtime. my favorite tracks are ‘amorino‘ and ‘monologue for an old true love,’ but give the rest of the album a listen for sure.

rod stewart – every picture tells a story
don’t laugh. seriously. this album is some kick-ass rod stewart for real. aside from being the home of one of his biggest hits ‘maggie may‘ (great scene from heath ledger in lords of dogtown), the rest of the album throws down some great 70’s rock straight from the throaty pipes of the rod. the title track, ‘every picture tells a story‘ has a true story telling feel and evokes rod’s previous band, the faces (who will be reuniting in ‘09…). definitely a good album to walk around the city to and you’ll be surprised at how many tunes you have either heard, never knew were rod, or just feel yourself tapping your foot to…

the beach boys – sunflower/surf’s up
two albums of beach boyness could get to be a bit much, and although not as wholly strong as pet sounds, there are plenty of gems on here to keep you relaxed on the beach. when i first got my hands on this album, for a solid 3 week stint, i listened to ‘tears in the morning‘ every morning. it’s just one of those quintessential beach boy harmonized tracks that makes you feel what they’re emoting down to the bone. highly recommend this album if not for nothing but that track. also check the true messaged ‘add some music to your day‘ for some more typical beach boy.

thunderball – scoripio rising
don’t know too many people that have ever heard of these guys let alone this album, but i got it when i was working over at heavy.com and it’s been a great go to to fill a few different musical wants. a little bit down-tempo, a bit more electro-groove, and definitely danceable, this album is good from the get go. the first track ‘heart of the hustler‘ starts with some cool beats and sounds and folds into a cool soul-inspired mix of rhythm, horn and drum&bass. ‘stereo tonic‘ has some great break-beat and trip-hop influence thrown together too. basically, if you’re a fan of thievery corporation, zero 7 or any of the sort, definitely check out this disc.

supersystem – always never again
family ties aside, i freakin love this album. the uber-synth driven sound these guys put out is irresistible to dance to. don’t matter if you’re sitting down at work, on the bus, working out, whatever, this album will make you shake your ass. and if not, shame shame shame. from the start, ‘born into the world‘ beats you into line for what you’re about to encounter through your speakers. heavy beat driven riffs keep the pace and don’t let up til the album’s done. also check out ‘defcon,’ ‘miracle,’ ‘1977,’ and ‘everybody sings.’ actually, you know what, just listen to the whole freakin album ok?  if you’re a fan of the rapture, foals, hot chip or the like, you will like this. i swear it.

ok. think that’s enough.  more to come in ‘09. i will not slack anymore, or at least i’ll try not to…

~ by craaaig on January 3, 2009.