P.M. Dawn - Paper Doll (1991) [Crossover Hip-Hop]



The more time passes, the more I think the underlying sentiment for unity that P.M. Dawn pushed against the grain to speak about resonates. They were right back then and they're still right today, even in an era that has forgotten them. Among the few hip-hop acts who dared to cross and mix smoother influences into the genre and come up with their own choruses + melodic structures and arrangements to go with their uncanny knack for a good sample. Severely underappreciated.

The Residents - Gotta Believe (2011) [Avant-Garde / Sound Collage]



Welcome to the voodoo cornucopia. One of the best produced concepts of The Residents repertoire, Gotta Believe is an early highlight on the Coochie Brake album, featuring some bizarre samples and keyboard textures that zoom in and out among some buzzsaw-worthy guitar histrionics. It has a madcap Ennio Morricone vibration that doesn't show up too often in their body of work, but the approach is wonderful.

Steve Roach - The Other Side (1988) [Ambient]



One of the most beautiful cuts off one of the greatest ambient albums ever made, full stop. It captures the desolation and majesty of death, along with mankind's collective yearning for a destination beyond that point. It keens and undulates, screaming for something more than what we have through the orchestral voice of a Steiner EWI.

The Church - Chaos (1992) [Alt. Rock / Post-Punk]



A frenetic, absolutely fantastic post-punk epic from the underrated Priest = Aura album. Held together by the barest of threads upon a single, throbbing tightrope bassline, it threatens to unravel time and time again but never quite does. Smoke rises now and then with hints of no wave and free jazz on the wind, but it burns just fine regardless of how you label it.

Pharoah Sanders - Shukuru (1985) [Jazz]



The free jazz master at his most serene and melodic. Of particular note are Bill Henderson's synths and piano, which add to the mysterious atmosphere immensely. Good for an early night or a late morning!

Thought Industry - Third Eye (1992) [Thrash Metal]



Some politically charged chugga-chugga theater from one of thrash metal's more underrated outfits. It has a little of that US Power Metal swoon to the melody, but the playing is pure riptide and the rest of the album has a certain meticulous charm that's uncommon in tech-thrash.

Lion Shepherd - Fly On (2015) [Art Rock / Psych Rock / Arabesque]



From cloudy Poland comes an oud-loving group that wants to show you a mystical good time. Like their desert rock predecessors here in America and elsewhere, Lion Shepherd do a fine job at channeling the spirit of the desert into the atmosphere above, thrumming to life with a textured guitar-centric sound that makes for an engaging rock/metal experience.

Prince - My Love Is Forever (Demo) (1977) [R&B / Soul / Funk]



The genius beginning his great ascent up Olympus. He was still in his late teens at this point with almost no real studio experience, yet he walks in and cuts a gem like this effortlessly. Best of all, he played every instrument and even mixed his own vocal harmonies...layer by layer by layer.

Mansun - Six (1998) [Avant-Britpop]



The artistic high point of the Britpop scene that got swept under the rug due to Radioheadmania. This opening title track (and the whole album by extension) has an unclassifiable swagger that sounds out of time and somehow so fitting for 1998.

Youssou N'Dour - The Lion / Gaiende (1989) [Mbalax]



Although he's probably better known internationally for his collabs with people like Nenah Cherry and Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour has been a huge superstar in Senegal and Africa in general for decades. In that part of the world he was actually comparable to Michael Jackson or perhaps Prince in commercial popularity for a very long time.

This opening title cut to 1989's The Lion is a good example of the "style" of dance music that Youssou pioneered, a conflation of traditional njuup music, synth-pop, jazz, rock and Congolese rumba known as Mbalax.

To put it another way, it's like The Police going Earth Wind & Fire on your ass but led with Sabar percussion and a more overtly cheery atmosphere.