2022 prog electronic/prog rock OST from Athens, Greece. I have a few complaints about the DLC this soundtrack is tied to, but the music is definitely not one of them. Chris Christodoulou seems to be unable to do wrong.
My picks: "Once in a Lullaby," "They Might As Well Be Dead," "The Face of the Deep"
1997 post-rock album from Glasgow, Scotland. The opening song is warm and inviting, only to get dragged down then walloped in the face by "Like Herod." The rest of the album mostly stays in a more mellow mood track before the fantastic (and lengthy) closer.
My picks: "Yes! I Am a Long Way from Home," "R U Still in 2 It?" "Mogwai Fear Satan"
This is a real bit nostalgia for me. Without getting in to my whole musical evolution, this was one of the most influential records from when I first began almost exclusively listening to punk/hardcore/post-punk. One of those records I’d been kicking myself for getting rid of. Found this sealed for like $10 and snappped it up. Gonna do a blog post at some point.
1976 progressive electronic/Berlin School album. A spacey synthesizer-focused album, starting each half fairly ambient before building to a more prog-styled jam. Harald Großkopf's drumming really meshes well with the synths on this album.
1995 math rock/noise rock album from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Loud, angular, discordant. Aggressive up front, although the album calms down a bit towards the back end.
Pro-tip: if you ever want to annoy co-workers, try putting on "Repeat Defender," especially from about 4:28-5:48!
My picks: "Stupid Puma," "Repeat Defender," "Dick Suffers Is Furious With You"
1971 funk rock/psychedelic rock album from Detroit, Michigan. Eddie Hazel's guitar work on "Maggot Brain" is amazing. "Wars Of Armageddon" is absolute nonsense, devolving to music overlaid with fart sounds at one point, but damn if it isn't funky.
My picks: "Maggot Brain," "Can You Get To That," "Super Stupid"
I know I’m not blowing anyone’s mind with these records but holy shit! This 2011 pressing! I had a copy of Quadrophenia I got about a year ago, and it was a fine copy. Somebody had played it a lot. But this pressing showed up at Next Chapter Records in Putney #Vermont, and it is near mint. It sounds so good. A perfect version of this tremendous record.
2009 post-rock/math rock album from Leicester, England. Goes into post-metal at times, and some 65daysofstatic-eque electronic bits. The vocal samples can be a bit cornball, but they work well enough with the music, and sometimes cornball is just what you want.
My picks: "Co-Conspirators," "How To Have Sex With A Ghost," "Our History Will Be What We Make Of It"
1998 post-rock album from Montreal, Québec. Essentially a post-apocalyptic soundtrack. The use of "The Sad Mafioso" part of "East Hastings" in 28 Days Later is what put this band on my radar.
I'm a big fan of GY!BE live, so here's a live show with "Dead Methany," "The Dead Flag Blues (Outro)" (Better than the album, in my opinion!), and "The Sad Mafioso."
2015 vaporwave/plunderphonics album from Los Angeles, California. One of the stranger albums I've ever listened to, a bizarre fever dream that always seems to always have new twists up its sleeve. Unexpected chord changes, abrupt glitches, pitch-shifted vocals, and a wide variety of samples.
My picks: "Loving Is Easy," "시원한 파도소리 좋아요" (Track 7), "내 마음은 떨고" (Track 8)
2007 dark ambient/industrial rock OST. While the ambient tracks are solid if occasionally forgettable, when Kelly Bailey rocks out it's some absolutely fantastic stuff. "Vortal Combat" is possibly my favorite song in the franchise.
My picks: "Vortal Combat," "Sector Sweep," "Eon Trap"
2000 rap opera concept album. I'm generally not big on rap, but between catchy beats and some very unconventional (and nerdy) subject matters, this album is definitely an exception for me. The first song alone mentions Neuromancer, Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix. Wonderful stuff.
My picks: "3030," "Virus," "Time Keeps on Slipping"
1981 post-punk album from Boston, Massachusetts. Originally released as a six song EP, but over the years they've tacked on (to the beginning for some reason) two songs from their first single and two previously unreleased songs. Thankfully, they're all solid.
My picks: "Academy Fight Song," "That's When I Reach for My Revolver," "All World Cowboy Romance"
2019 experimental rock/math rock album from NYC. Cut down to two members by this point, but when the two are John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) on drums and Ian Williams (Don Cab, Storm & Stress) on guitars and synths, you're still good. The loss of Dave Konopka definitely hurts this album, but it's a good one regardless.
My picks: "A Loop So Nice..." "They Played It Twice," "Fort Greene Park"