The 411 Music Top Five 08.31.10: Top 5 Recommended Albums

Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 08.31.2010

From Michael Jackson's Thriller and Led Zeppelin's IV to Rev Theory's Light It Up and The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the 411 Music staff lists their Top 5 Recommended Albums! Check out the full article to see which albums made the lists!

David Hayter

So this week’s topic is certainly a vague one; “Top 5 Recommended Albums”. I’m sure each writer will put his own spin on this question, so I’m simple going to list 5 albums that I greatly enjoy that I suspect a large chunk of our readership might not be familiar with. Now this is going to be from a mix of time periods and include some artists who are quite tricky to get into (and one who isn’t). So if you don’t know where to start so I hope this helps.

5. Deerhunter – Microcastle (4AD 2008, Nicolas Vernhas).

Bradford Cox is a very talented man with a remarkably creative mind. Not only does he front and drive the dreamy indie pop of Deerhunter, he also works under the name Atlas Sound with equally brilliant results. Microcastle is his most complete, most accessible, and all together most sublime work to date. Combining the traditional weary eyed indie aesthetic with luscious shoegaze soundscapes and grind churning guitars; he created a sound that is simultaneously distinct, challenging, and engaging at the same time. Deerhunter is the perfect marriage of the affecting singer song writer with the ambient dreamy indie rock band. At its best Microcastle is an album that you can get lost within; you can put in on a dreary rainy day, or a long train journey and just drift away to its spacious soothing ambient tones.

Further Listening: Atlas Sound  - Logos

 

4. Leonard Cohen – Songs Of Leonard Cohen (Columbia 1967, John Simon).

Leonard Cohen is no easy proposition to get your head around. If you are an intrigued outsider, it is so easy to get drawn to a poorly chosen greatest hits collection, or to pick up one of his less complete LPs that happens to carry one of his trademark later career singles. Now if you really want to know what makes Leonard Cohen special, then the place to start is with his staggering debut. Songs Of Leonard Cohen is quite simply one of the most beautiful albums ever penned. Cohen’s lyricism is a joy to hear, you’ll find yourself absorbed in his rich tales of love, lust and life. His voice is soothing and gorgeous, and almost as magical as the words themselves. There is simply no filler on this record. If I were pushed to pick a favorite, I’d suggest “Stranger Song” or “Master Song” but you really cannot go wrong wherever you tread with this LP. So much focus is given to Cohen’s words and voice; it is easy to overlook the beautifully subtly and truly moving arrangements that add real emotional and textural weight to his greatest works. Quite simply this is one of the greatest and most complete LPs that you never hear anyone discussing.

Further Listening: Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love & Hate

 

3. David Bowie – Hunky Dory (RCA 1971, Ken Scott).

Okay, David Bowie is hardly a hard artist to get into, but you often feel that parts of his back catalogue fall out of vogue or get lost behind the classics. Sure Low is quite possibly the greatest album ever made, and Heroes was a more popular and worthy follow up. Ziggy Stardust...was the concept pop masterpiece, but Hunky Dory is where it all began. Hunky Dory saw Bowie finally pull all his creativity, all his flamboyance, and let’s face it, all his brilliance together into one cohesive start-to-finish LP.

While his later efforts were more focused, Hunky Dory felt like the David Bowie variety hour as he hopped genres at will, giving them all the Bowie glam makeover. Sure, there were misfires: “Song For Bob Dylan” was a little shaky, but it’s more than compensated for by the brilliance of “Andy Warhol” or the incredible “Quicksand”. So if you have the obvious classics and you’re wondering what to sample next, leave Aladdin Sane, put down Station To Station, don’t buy Heathen just yet, and give Hunky Dory a spin. It’s the perfect mix of classic singles (“Oh! You Pretty Things”, “Changes”, “Life On Mars”, “Queen Bitch”) and mind blowing creativity.

Further Listening: David Bowie – Low

 

2. The Very Best – Warm Heart Of Africa (Green Owl 2009, Radioclit).

This record does exactly what is says on the label. So many artists have plagiarized the sounds of Africa to appear creative, and so often we are confronted with the sorrow of Africa; well the Very Best Of do the exact opposite. These two south London DJs and one Malawian singer bring you the vibrant multi-colored authentic voice of Africa in all its glory and in all its artistic brilliance. Gorgeous melodies, tribal chant, stomping beats, and huge widescreen imagery; this is the sound of an entire continent. The scope is unimaginable, you feel like you’re being taken on a sonic tour from the wide open plains, to the sunny beaches, to the dark forests, and to brutal but vibrant underground clubs of impoverished shanty towns. There’s a wonderful pleasure to be found in the juxtaposition of this record. Hearing the sounds of the west used to bolster the sounds of Africa is just exhilarating and this record truly has it all. It’s accessible, approachable and utterly brilliant. If you really want to get a taste of Africa this is the place to start.

If you liked this then consider: M.I.A – Arular or Vampire Weekend – Contra

 

1. Miles Davis – A Tribute To Jack Johnson (Columbia 1971, Teo Macero).

I’m going to say right up front that I am no Jazz expert and I’m not going to pretend I am. I’m just a fascinated outsider trying to get into a world that can be completely inaccessible at the best of times. So I’m here to offer my advice to those you like me; who once struggled to know where to start. Over the years I’ve become avid Miles Davis fan, and there is no better place to start than with A Tribute To Jack Johnson. This record marked the real beginnings of Miles Davis’ experimentation with, and thorough conquering of, Jazz-rock, and as such, it’s one of the easy places to start. “Right Off” is simply a work genius, it feels like a bunch of musicians just jamming and laying down some thick heavy duty jams before Miles suddenly burst in with this rip snorting solo that will leave your jaw on the floor the first time you hear it. This is visceral jazz that a popular music could never have expected to hear, it’s thrilling, and entrancing. “Right Off” is contrasted against “Yesternow” a more classical piece (giving you a flavor of more tradition jazz), a far mellower piece that builds to an exciting conclusion. Together they make one mind blowing album and the perfect introduction for any outsider to the crazy, scary, unbroachable world of jazz.

Further Listening: Miles Davis – Bitches Brew

 

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Michael James

5. Rev Theory- Light It Up.

I was recently ruing the lack of solid modern radio. Even if it wasn't the most challenging music in the world, I have always appreciated an occasional dose of Three Days Grace or Sevendust-style hard rock. While the 411 audience may be more familiar with Rev Theory than most because due some WWE affiliations, Light It Up did not get the mainstream attention it probably deserves.

4. Dustin Kensrue- Please Come Home.

Kensrue is the lead singer of the rock band Thrice, but his solo work is something else entirely. His solo material is acoustic, rebel country that comes off as surprisingly authentic in light of how different it is from his day job. He also wins points in my book for putting out a solid Christmas album, but I'm recommending his debut instead.

3. Athlete- Black Swan.

Between this album and the upcoming Darren Aronosfky film, 2010 is shaping up as the black swan's breakout year in pop culture. On their fourth album, these British indie rockers balances upbeat electronic influences on "Superhuman Touch" with haunting ballads like "Black Swan Song," a tribute to the deceased grandfather of lead singer Joel Potts. The songs likely aren't as beautiful as the Natalie Portman-Mila Kunis lesbian tryst from the movie, but they aren't far off.

2. Nappy Roots- The Pursuit of Nappyness.

It has been a long run for these Kentucky hip-hoppers since their 2002 breakout Watermelon, Chikn & Gritz. The Nappy Roots have fallen far off the mainstream radar since then, but they have remained one of the most consistent groups in hip-hop, releasing a series of standout albums and mixtapes. This year's overlooked Nappyness, is no exception, as it is packed full of authentic Southern soul. Nappy continues to advance the musical styles of Outkast and Goodie Mob while those acts continue to splinter off on their own.

1. Sam Cooke- The Man Who Invented Soul.

It may be a copout to pick a four-disc box set as my number 1, but this career retrospective of one of our greatest singers is simply an amazing listen. The box includes the majority of Cooke's post-gospel secular recordings as well as a live recording of his legendary performance at The Harlem Square Club and is a great primer on a career cut too short. It perfectly captures all aspects of Cooke's legacy from his cooler than cool recorded vocals to his rambunctious performance style.

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Lenny Vowels

This was actually a fairly tough topic for me. Because when you think about it, what should make an album that you would recommend for someone, especially someone who hasn't listened to music before? Do you give that person something that is esoteric and obscure? Or something that everyone's heard, but may tend to get overplayed? My decision was to pick what I felt classified each decade of music, and in this case, they just happened to be ranked in chronological order. Here's how the list breaks down...

Honorable mentions:

Black Sabbath, Paranoid.Green Day, Dookie. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Weezer, The Blue Album. The Strokes, Is This It. The White Stripes, Elephant.

5. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations.

While this is my personal favorite Muse album, most don't tend to agree. However, I think most would concur that it is Muse's most "user friendly" album, and it's also fairly representative of what to expect out of other bands of the 2000s like The Killers and Coldplay. The band's 2006 collection has everything from acoustic (Soldier's Poem, City of Delusion), to electronic (Take a Bow, Map of the Problematique), to just plain loud and bombastic rock (Assassin, Knights of Cydonia). Throw in a couple of love songs and you've got just a bit of everything, and Muse never ceases to make it work. The number of people I've converted to fans with this album alone never has surprised me.

 

4. Pearl Jam - Ten.

I fully expect flack from those who are probably in support of other groundbreaking 90's albums *cough*Nevermind*cough*. Overall, I still always thought this was the better album. Pearl Jam always seemed like they had more to prove, and I just thought that Ten came off as a more raw record, without as much personal darkness that Kurt Cobain became so well-known for. Eddie and the boys knocked it out of the park with their first one, and it's an album I would recommend for anyone to give a listen to if they want to hear good music.

 

3. Michael Jackson - Thriller.

Not only is Thriller the quintessential pop album, but it also happens to be THE best-selling album of all time. With those kinds of accolades, why would you not want to give this album a listen? Jackson's 1982 smash hit will likely never be topped in overall sales, and the beats and grooves of the big singles like "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and especially "Thriller" are just as infectious today as they were 28 years ago. Even through all of his weird ordeals and posthumous media circus, you can't help but respect what Michael Jackson has done for the industry, and Thriller is an album that everyone should hear at least once in their lifetime.

 

2. Led Zeppelin, IV.

It's still my favorite album from my favorite genre. Hard rock may not have gotten its roots from Zeppelin, but it definitely got its notoriety from the band, along with bands like Black Sabbath, The Who, and Deep Purple. IV just happens to be, in my opinion, the most well-rounded record by any of these bands. You have famous hard rock anthems in "Rock n' Roll" and "Misty Mountain Hop," a timeless cover in "When the Levee Breaks," and the magnificent masterpiece "Stairway to Heaven," arguably the greatest song of all time. What more could one ask for in order to submerge themselves in the glow of rock n' roll?

 

1. The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

What can still be considered my favorite album ever is dubbed so for a few good reasons. The primary one being that the album is basically a multi-genre collection of songs. You have pop rock (With a Little Help From My Friends, Getting Better), space rock (Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds), psychedelic (Within You Without You), symphony (She's Leaving Home), and even hard(er) rock (Good Morning Good Morning). The album literally has something for anyone with an open mind about music, and for yours truly, my album favorites seem to change on a weekly basic, depending entirely on my mood. Even though everyone in the world has probably already listened to this album, maybe they should give it another listen, just to see what hits home now.

 

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Ben Czajkowski

Honorable Mentions:

Five Pointe 0 – Untitled, Sevendust – Animosity, Sinch – Clearing the Channel, Fingertight - In the Name of Progress, Flaw – Through the Eyes, Finger Eleven – Greyest of Blue Skies, American Head Charge – The Feeding, Army of Anyone – Army of Anyone, Chromeo – Fancy Footwork

5. Shades of Fiction – Shades of Fiction.

This is one of the best albums in my catalog. I love underground, local bands. This one is now defunt, from Chicago. This self-titled effort is a solid disc all the way through. It's short, yes, but there's no filler; it just bounces along. Some of the best sampling and keyboard work I've heard to date. The layers that the band draws up creates a work of art that you find something new every once in a while, like a good painting. Funny I should use that simile: the frontman's name is Picasso.

Three Recommended Tracks: "Nurse With Amnesia", "Preoccupied (With a Number of Other Concerns)", "And That's Why I Need Her"

 

4. 32 Leaves – Welcome to the Fall.

I ranked Fall as one of the best undiscovered albums a few years ago. One of the singles from this disc received a ridiculously high amount of airtime on a satellite radio channel that it eventually led to 32 Leaves being picked up by Universal. Fall is one of the few albums that you can put on and listen to all the way through. It's straight rock with some awesome chill-out instrumentals in between.

Three Recommended Tracks: "All Is Numb", "Your Lies", “Sudden Change”

 

3. Still Remains – Of Love and Lunacy.

As far as Christcore/Metalcore goes, Still Remains will always be one of my favorites (RIP). While some may argue that this one is not nearly as good as The Serpent, I feel that Lunacy doesn't have the processed, sophomoric flaws that The Serpent had. Lunacy is raw, well thought out, smart metal. In a world where metalcore is bland, I find that Still Remains did a nice job at standing out with how well Lunacy balances those harmonies, strong lyrics, instrumentals, and snarls.

Three Recommended Tracks: "White Walls", "I Can Revive With My Own Two Hands", "Stare and Wonder"

 

2. VNV Nation – Matter + Form.

Matter + Form is the perfect blend of electronic, trance, and lyrics. This dark and brooding album is, perhaps, one of the best things to trickle out of Europe this decade. Running at just under an hour, once you put this baby on, there's no stopping the movement that will course through your body.

Three Recommended tracks: "Chrome", "Arena", "Perpetual"

 

1. Rob Dougan – Furious Angels.

I often use examples from this album for my Top 5 entries. While this may sound like a metal album judging solely on the title, it is the furthest thing from the truth. This is more of the best orchestral, trip hop, jazzy, and bluesy discs you can ever pick up. Fans of The Matrix are probably already familiar with him (think red dress scene). From start to finish, this is one of the most compelling sets of tracks I've ever listened to. My soul is forever indebted to Marshall Slayton for this one.

Three Recommended tracks: "Clubbed to Death", "Furious Angels", "Born Yesterday"

 

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Aaron Titan

Hey guys! I'm literally picking five random albums. There are so many albums I would and have recommended to people over the years. Picking the exclusive top 5 is impossible, so here's just five that I dig and think you might too! Obviously, the order I listed them in is completely random and meaningless.

5. Tim Fite - Fair Ain't Fair.

"Everyone gets to make one big mistake and if you're waitin' on me, then I guess you're gonna' have to wait! 'Cause I'm saving mine up for a very, very special day, so I can fuck it all up in the most spectacular way!" Words to live by! I met Tim Fite when we was opening on Les Claypool's spring 2007 (I think). I actually bought his album Gone Ain't Gone from him and interviewed him for my college newspaper too. While that's a great album, he one-upped himself with this one. Fair Ain't Fair features great vocal harmonies, Fite's signature use of sampling, and fun, quirky, yet beautiful lyrics and presentation. This is the song that won him a lot of recognition, but Tim is more than this one song. Trust me.

4. Soulfly - Prophecy.

Soulfly kicks ass. While I still maintain that their self-titled debut is their best album, this is one of their most accessible LPs. There's a ton of Brazilian and world influence in the sound, something I think their more recent stuff is a little lacking in. This album is heavy, and oh yeah, did I mention it's heavy? I just love the riffing, tribal beats, and groove of Soulfly and what's more, I don't have a lot of albums that feature Portuguese lyrics, so that's always a fun break from the norm too!

3. Rob Zombie - Educated Horses.

This is the Rob Zombie album that kind of marked his return to music after a long absence he took while working on directing a few movies. From the interviews I read, Rob was burnt out on music and the drama that he faced on tour with his band while supporting his album The Sinister Urge. Working with guitarist John5 a few years later sparked Rob's renewed interest in music and the result was this great little nugget right here. I had the opportunity to see Zombie on tour for this album a few times and there are some serious, kickass cuts on here. Actually, from the menacing intro track to the finale, "The Lords of Salem," I love this album, every single track.

2. Ween - The Mollusk.

Dude, nobody I know really knows about Ween! Technically, I didn't either until I got tickets for Lollapalooza 2006 and asked a friend in the know, "Dude, this band Ween is headlining the first night at Lolla. Who the fuck are they?" He loaned me their Live in Chicago DVD and recommended some of their better albums. While I initially gravitated toward Chocolate and Cheese, I think The Mollusk is definitely my favorite. Ween typically roll with a different genre sound/theme on each album, and The Mollusk is their "songs of the sea" album. It's just good fun and while it's mostly tongue-in-cheek, it's unapologetic and entertaining. Ween is a band that most either really love or can't stand, so I'm just going to embed a song that kind of falls in that realm:

1. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals.

I've turned a lot of my friends onto Girl Talk (aka Greg Gillis). He's one of the bigtime mashup artists and you haven't seen a weirder, crazier live show until you've seen his, which based solely around 2 laptop computers and some speakers. Feed the Animals was my album of the year for 2008 and it's just a shot of good fun! I've seen Gillis live twice, most recently at his New Year's Eve bash in Chicago at the Congress Theater. I also got the chance to meet him at Lollapalooza 2008, and he was super nice! This album is great because of the song selection, as Gillis sticks mostly with the familiar - though he throws some oldies and lesser-known clips to spice things up. The art of what Gillis does, without necessarily recording any original material besides a few custom percussion beats here or there, is choosing to mash up songs that go well together, especially when you don't see it coming. Lil' Mama's vocals from "Lip Gloss" set to the break riff from Metallica's "One" is particularly hilarious and fun! Cop this shit right HERE for free off of the Illegal Art label's website. I'll pick the lead-off song on the album for the clip I embed. It's just the best one to get pumped up about Girl Talk:

 

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The Final Word

As always, the last thoughts come from you, the reader. We're merely unpaid monkeys with typewriters and Wikipedia. Here's what you need to do: List your Top Five for this week's topic on the comment section using the following format: 5. Artist - Album: Why you chose it 4. Artist - Album: Why you chose it 3. Artist - Album: Why you chose it 2. Artist - Album: Why you chose it 1. Artist - Album: Why you chose it