Great Slept-On Albums
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Built around one of the strongest tracks from Shearwater's phenomenal album Rook, this digital-only EP is a gorgeous companion release that emphasizes the strange, fragile beauty of singer Jonathan Meiburg's voice. In addition to the title track and several b-sides, the EP includes two covers: "So Bad," originally performed by the iconic transgender musician Baby Dee, and "Henry Lee," an American traditional song popularized by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Sounds Like: Antony and the Johnsons + Okkervil River + Norfolk & Western
On Uproot, Jace Clayton (aka DJ /rupture) compiles songs from Barcelona, Germany, Finland, Australia, Sweden, and his hometown of Brooklyn for a sublime downtempo mixtape that exemplifies his philosophy of "maplessness." Jon Pareles of The New York Times says it's "made not for dance-floor propulsion but for private absorption: music as an endless abyss and a bottomless (but bass loving) well," and Pitchfork placed it #10 on their Best Albums of 2008 list.
Sounds Like: Ghislain Poirier + Thievery Corporation + Kruder & Dorfmeister
Various Artists
Masterpieces of the Romantic Piano compiles exceptional performances of nineteen essential classical piano pieces from composers including Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy and Rachmaninov. Each selection on this album defined an era of classical music and has become a staple of every classical pianist's repertoire. This is a perfect introduction to the deep tradition of classical piano music as well as a welcome refresher for piano aficionados.
Sounds Like: Mozart + Brahms + Rachmaninov
For someone labeled as a slacker icon, Damon Gough (aka Badly Drawn Boy) is a remarkably prolific songwriter, releasing more than twenty albums and EPs since 1997. His breakthrough album The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast won Britain's prestigious Mercury Prize for Best Album in 2000, and Billboard called it "a wonderfully offbeat blend of atmospheric folk and lo-fi rock that never fails to charm." In 2002, he recorded the soundtrack for the film About A Boy starring Hugh Grant and was named one of Q Magazine's "50 Bands To See Before You Die."
Sounds Like: Nick Drake + Beck + Elliott Smith
If you've never listened to Explosions in the Sky, start with this album. The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place is the third full-length release from this Austin, TX post-rock quartet, and their tightest and most emotionally uplifting work yet. The bands calls it their first "attempt at love songs," and a few songs from the album provided the epic soundtrack to the film Friday Night Lights, as well as to the new trailer for Australia.
Sounds Like: Godspeed You! Black Emperor + Mogwai + Sigur Rós
Combining the smooth, melodic reggae of Jimmy Cliff with the dancehall rap of Buju Banton, Born Jamericans emerged as one of the most popular reggae/hip hop fusion groups of the 1990s. Fronted by smooth-singing Mr. Notch and rapper Edley Shine, the group released two chart-topping albums in the mid-'90s; 1997's Yardcore features the hit title track as well as guest appearances by Johnny Osbourne, Merciless, and Mad Lion.
Sounds Like: Jimmy Cliff + Buju Banton + Shaggy
