Dirty Shirley - I Disappear (2020) [Rock/Metal]



One of the highlights of early 2020 for me, Dirty Shirley is a hard rocking collaborative effort between guitar legend George Lynch and a young Croatian singer who sounds like the heir to Dio's metal throne, Dino Jelusick.

While the whole album is pretty strong, 'I Disappear' is a big highlight due to being exceptionally epic and a serious showcase of Dino's range. He narrates what sounds like a mob revenge epic over nearly 7 minutes and one hell of a great central melody. The bass especially shines, cutting through the mix like a hot poker and adding dramatic intensity to the verses. Lynch of course kills on guitar as well. If the idea of Ray Gillen or Dio going Queensryche sounds good to you, you'll love this song.

re:plus - Headline (feat. Cise Star) (2011) [Jazz-Rap]



A protest song hiding its teeth under the guise of a breezy, free flowing arrangement. More relevant than ever. Cise Star was always pretty entertaining on his excursions with Nujabes back when the master was still alive & kicking, but this cut really plays into his melodic instincts particularly well as an MC and I really dig it.

The Aluminum Group - Rose Selavy's Valise (1999) [Indie / Baroque Folk / Art Pop / Soft Rock]



One of the most underrated duos ever. Although they've been inactive for awhile, John & Frank Navin's music consistently demonstrates that they're masters of pop craftsmanship and can do almost anything with finesse. Their magnum opus, Pedals, was released in '99 and ambitiously put together alongside producer Jim O'Rourke. This desire to go above and beyond is especially evident in Rose Selavy's Valise, the opening 9 minute suite that sounds like Brian Wilson, Gordon Lightfoot and David Sylvian having the best jam session together you've never heard, probably with Burt Bacharach popping in for good measure. Pop symphonia doesn't get much better than this.

The Cars - Moving In Stereo (1979) [AOR / New Wave]



Compellingly, brilliantly repetitive and one of Roy Thomas Baker's absolute best productions. I don't think it's hard to see why The Cars seemingly went platinum overnight, and this wasn't even a single.

Freedom's Children - Slowly Towards The North (Parts 1 & 2) (1970) [Psych-Rock]



The shining diamond in the rough of the South Africa counterculture scene that sprung up as a reaction to Apartheid (as well as a musical response in some ways to British's rock music's growing prominence). There's a gloriously fuzzy, incandescent power to the Slowly Towards The North suite that's hard to pin down, but it burns like there's no tomorrow.

Scritti Politti - Boom! There She Was (1988) [Souped-Up Synthpop]



Green Gartside is pop music's unsung master of the craft, one whose influence is felt in a million tiny little ways even in 2020. A master of meticulous arrangement, he was someone on par with guys like Brian Wilson and Paddy McAloon in their respective primes. Going from being a bonafide Marxist living in squalor to a chart-topping pop wizard making millions in less than a decade on sheer drive, Scritti Politti's impact was such that even Miles Davis was obsessed with working with Green (and he got his wish eventually).

Unfortunately, while fame caused Green to implode and recede into complete obscurity for over a decade after this album, 1988's Provision is full of gems crafted under a fragmented sense of duress and disillusion. Green's musical OCD and lyrical + emotional bitterness is best illustrated on the opening banger featured tonight. The synth and drums programming and lofty arrangement would give even the obsessive Prince an aneurysm, but between all the sardonic observations and Zapp's Roger Troutman on talkbox duties...the result is exceedingly 1988 but somehow perfectly timeless.

Chasing The Monsoon - Dancing In The Afterglow (2019) [Nu-Prawg]



A sublime concept record in the prog tradition based on a famous travelogue by Alexander Frater. It chronicles his pursuit of the monsoon season across India in 1987. (it's pretty good).

Unlike a lot of stuff that comes out under the "prog" label though, this album clearly has a stronger sense of actual melody and a wider spectrum of genre touchpoints than many peers. It is neither too derivative nor inaccessibly experimental, but keeps things balanced. Dancing In The Afterglow, for instance, has some Bhangra flavor and wouldn't be out of place in one of the sleeker pictures coming out of Bollywood over the last few years. Lisa Fury is particularly good here - she's a great singer in general, but she especially soars on this one. Not for everyone, but great for what it is.

George Hirota - The Ancient Consciousness Of Evil Spirit (1976) [Jazz-Fusion]



Lovingly off kilter, psychedelic jazz, like Popol Vuh on a decidedly bad trip instead of rolling doobs in the sunshine. The bass is bangin', the flute is perfect and the vibe at times touches upon the whimsy of the Canterbury Scene but with a decidedly darker, more cinematic tone. It helps that George is a beastly drummer and screams his face off like a maniac at the slightest provocation. A touch of madness there, but the result is finnnneee.

Motorpsycho - Vortex Surfer (1998) [Experimental Alt-Rock]



One of Norway's top rock groups, with loads and loads of great music under their belt. My favorite "era" of theirs is their alt-rock phase that climaxed in some ways via the sheer power of this classic near the end of the 90's, which builds into something rather magnificent over the course of a 9 minute run. It's a superb, albeit painful, sonic excursion into letting go of someone. Whether that's a relationship or death is up to the listener to decide. The guitar and xylophone are perfection on an already great tune.

DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4) (1996) [Plunderphonics / Instrumental Hip-Hop]



Harken to the soundtrack of a late winter night in Bristol circa 1996, the background muzak to someone scrounging in old record stores. They are seeking answers to questions beyond their ability to articulate, encased in a glacial trap of dislocation and discontent. Proto-vaporwave in hindsight, this song was hauntology's national anthem when the very idea of it was still just a subconscious dream.