Master of Chinese Traditional Music: Zheng [2005]

An album of traditional Chinese folk music played on the Guzheng, which is basically a Chinese zither. Here is a picture of one if you are curious. I'll be honest, I had no idea this instrument even existed before I listened to this album but, I'll admit, I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to Chinese Folk music. Despite that I fell in love with the instrument on my first listen. This album is quaint and beautiful. Each song paints a vivid picture and immerses you in a story that feels familiar, I highly recommend you download this.

download | sample

Dads - American Radass [2012]

I don't care that the entire album is in D major, the production and instrumentation on this album is perfect. "Shit Twins" has to be one of the all-time greatest emo songs. 30 minutes of goodness that I can't describe. I'm throwing buzzwords around a lot, but listen to this. You won't regret it.

download | sample

Guitar Wolf & Lightning Bolt - Ultra Cross Vol. 1 [2006]

In an unexpected yet not so unlikely turn of events, two notable noise rock bands from different sides of the globe come together to release a rowdy and rapid split single. Ultra Cross Vol. 1 boasts two tracks each from Japan's Guitar Wolf and the U.S.A.'s Lightning Bolt, both bringing what they have to offer in full force. It starts off with Guitar Wolf's more garage punk-y approach to noise rock as they play their instruments as hard as garage punks can, pausing for silence to emphasize the decibels they're blasting through plenty of distortion. On the other hand, Lightning Bolt takes no breaks in their signature frantic and chaotic style, hitting the bass riffs and drum fills as fast as possible. Both bands seem to be vying for the position of the loudest half of the split as they do what they do and do it well on Ultra Cross Vol. 1.

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Panabrite - Nordsee [2009]

Sparkly space textures coming from the great synthesizer in da sky, Nordsee by progressive electronic artist Panabrite is truly something else, with skills in creating atmosphere and moods. Very reminiscent of Ohneotrix Point Never's Rifts stuff, which is a great comparison. Really awesome album!

                                                                       Download

Chi Vampires by Bircheville Cat Motel [2004]

"Chi Vampires" - Birchville Cat Motel

A dense drone album by Birchville Cat Motel, which is very unsettling and comfortable at the same time. From the creaky empty field drone of "Buckling Metal Snowflakes", the warm almost agony and despair sound of "Cold Herds Travel" and the warm pounding drums on the title (and imo, best) track. Definately grab this one if you are looking into more drone records, and dive into this guy's discog, I recommend Beautiful Speck Triumph, because from what I've heard, it's huge. 

                                                        Sample/Download                                                                                                                          

Offering - Offering III [1990]

"In another day... A love supreme..."

I like to think that this is what John Coltrane's "A love supreme" would have sounded like if Christian Vander of Magma had made it, pretty good jazz rock, with great vocals from Christian and Stella Vander.

The whole album is just a 44 minute piece called Another Day, based on Coltrane's A love supreme, don't let its length scare you though, it's interesting enough to make you not get bored of it and go do some nerd stuff like playing handball with a chicken in your hand and using the chicken as the ball while already having another chicken or idk
I messed up and the image included in the .rar isn't the cover! I'm really sorry but at least the image here can be used as the actual cover!

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Crying - Get Olde [2013]

One of the most refreshing chiptune records to come out in the post-Endless Fantasy age. Crying is the only band that sound be commissioned to make a soundtrack for the non-existent Adventure Time movie, and at the current point in time. Get Olde is their best work.

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Black Dice - Load Blown [2007]

Cool noisy electronic from New York's own Black Dice. There's not much else to say about this other than that it's an absolute blast to listen to. (I'm pretty tired and can't write right now, but you get my gist.)

download | sample

James Ferraro - Live at Primavera Sound 2012 [2012]

As you can guess by the title this is a recording of James Ferraro's set at Primavera Sound in 2012. Sounds like what i can only describe as psychedelic rain forest music. Please listen to this.

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Part Chimp - Thriller [2009]

Thriller is noise rock band Part Chimp's third album and third go at sounding as deafening, massive and dense as possible. Suffice to say, not at all did they fall too short of hitting the mark. Their sludge influence rings as loud as ever as they hit all the right low notes to make this a must-hear noise rock album for those getting into the genre. When they're not trying to shoot your ears out, they're taking it slow and letting the bass ring out in a cleaner tone for a lovable stoner rock influenced sound. And when they ARE trying to shoot your ears out, they try as hard as possible on their third attempt at doing so, Thriller.

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Avey Tare - Campus in Diretto, Paris, France [2005]

A short set played at a college in France sometime in 2005. I don't really have much to say, everyone knows who Avey Tare and Animal Collective are. This set features really nice acoustic versions of The Purple Bottle and Grass. Definitely worth a listen if you like Animal Collective.

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The Microphones - Mount Eerie [2003]

The Microphones went out with a bang on this one, combining their lo-fi fuzziness and almost noise rock-ish tendencies with a more experimental sound that distances it somewhat from their other works while retaining their excellent songwriting, lyrics, and atmosphere. Like The Glow Pt. 2, Mount Eerie also has a narrative that really helps tie the album together into what is, arguably, their most focused and filler-free package. (As much as I love The Glow and It Was Hot, there are several tracks that both could do without.) Not to be confused with Phil Elvrum's solo project of the same name.

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Scend - mhva [2012]

Scend by mhva

Ambient piano loops and detuned toy pianos create wonderful atmospheres on Norwegian artist mhva's ~24 minute jam Scend. A stunning album accompanied by stellar cover art and bookended by two powerful tunes, this album is the one for if you're looking for that sweet embrace, homie.

                                                                   download

Puffyshoes - Finally The Weekend [2011]

This album is like the summer festival that you never went to as a kid because you grew up in Detroit. This album is the album that Vivian Girls would've released if they were Japanese and hadn't broken up last year. This album will potentially break your hi-fidelity speaker system and Finally The Weekend by Puffyshoes, an all-girl indie rock duo from Japan, will simultaneously be the cutest and most badass thing you listen to this week.

download | sample

kinkyuuyuruport - ARE YOU PORT？[2013]

A psychedelic, Vocaloid led, J-POP trip through fields of detuned chiptune synthesizers accompanied by glitchy electronic jazz beats. There are some breakcore-esque moments. There are some shibuya-kei moments. I really don't know anything about this album, actually. All I know is that ARE　YOU　PORT？by kinkyuuyuruport deserves way more than five listeners on Last.fm. 

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Tobacco - Fucked Up Friends [2008]

While it may be Tobacco's debut album, Black Moth Super Rainbow's front-man was no stranger to the warm and nostalgia-inducing synthesizers, addicting beats and heavily vocoded, psyched-out lyrics when he brought it all together in this solo album. In Fucked Up Friends, Tobacco focuses his trademark skills, talents and sounds toward a more hip-hop influenced style that feels just right for it all. The hip-hop comes out the most in the track "Dirt", which features Aesop Rock rapping over Tobacco's newly beat-oriented yet customarily psychedelic music which shines in its own fuzzed out way throughout Fucked Up Friends.

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Coachwhips - Double Death [2006]

Coachwhips is an old project fronted by Thee Oh Sees's John Dwyer (guitar and vocals), who also brings John Harlow (drums) and Mary Ann McNamara (keyboard/tambourine) along for the wild ride. As a man who's felt like he's calmed down on the alcohol, drugs and going insane, Dwyer crafted this project in a state that was very much the opposite. Double Death is a collection of B-sides, covers and whatnot released a while after the band's time, which, like the music they performed, was wild, raucous and much too short.

Download | Sample

Cap'n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology [1998]

Chicago emo outfit Cap'n Jazz's entire discography and then some on a 2-CD set. Essential listening for anyone interested in the more aggressive, post-hardcore influenced side of emo. Complete with a fantastic cover of a-ha's Take on Me.

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Vacation Wasteland EP - Slime Girls [2012]

This is the soundtrack to that one dream you had where you went surfing with your childhood hero and all of your friends on a sea of LCL. You played SNES afterwards and the game you played sounded just like VACATION WASTELAND by SLIME GIRLS. The sun never set in that dream and you still wish you never woke up. If Ho-kago Tea Time made a joint cassette with Anamanaguchi, it would sound like something like this.

sample | download

Natural Snow Buildings - Between The Real and the Shadow [2008]

                                       
Natural Snow Buildings are a french drone/ambient/folk duo, made up Mehdi Ameziane and Solange Gularte. They are truly masters in the field, being able to be prolific and still pump out huge and beautiful releases each year. This album consist of two tracks, both sounding huge and glorious, and the first is truly triumphant and mesmerizing. Recommended to anyone who is a fan of ambient/drone. This album was featured in their "I Dream of Drone" compilation, and that is where the sample is linked.

                                                 Download/Sample

Mercury Rev - Lego My Ego [1992]

Mostly live EP (may as well be an album based on its length, though) from the early days of Mercury Rev, including the classic single Car Wash Hair and an early version of Chasing a Bee. The version of Very Sleepy Rivers on here is especially kickass. Recommended for fans of noisy psych rock, but it helps if you've already heard Yerself Is Steam since most of the material on here is taken from it.

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Paga Group - Paga [1985]

"Language is only the sound of someone reaching out for someone else"

Paga Group was made by bassist Bernard Paganotti, after having been in both Magma and Weidorje.

I don't really know much about this band, only that this album was released in 1985
not exactly a long album, some songs have a strong zeuhl sound, while others are less "zeuhly"
recommended for anyone who's into either Magma or zeuhl!

download | sample

Astro - Astro [2011]

"A E O, tenemos ganas de correr"

Astro is a chilean indie pop band, this is their first album, released in 2011. Some people say this sounds like MGMT's first album, well it kinda does sometimes but it's still very catchy and it has a happy sound to it in general

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Les Rallizes Dénudés - Metal Machine Music 82 [2006]

Metal Machine Music '82 is a video recording of their show at Jeio Gijuku University. If you're not familiar with Les Rallizes Dénudés they are a Japanese psychedelic/noise rock band most notable for their bootlegs (since they never released an official studio recording). Highly recommended for fans of The Velvet Underground (highly recommended for anyone really). If you haven't listened to Les Rallizes Dénudés I'd suggest starting with '77 Live which I also include a download for in this post.

mm82 | 77 live | sample

Koenjihyakkei - Viva Koenji!! [1996]

"Dorriche bomita, Dorriche bomita, Dorriche bomizemo mirendo"

Also known as "Ni (弐)", pretty much a zeuhl album, if you're either into avant-prog or zeuhl I would say this is a good album that you might enjoy! (The lyrics are all nonsense though)

                                                                         
                                                            download | sample

Scenes from Ringing Isle [1998]

A compilation featuring various drone and noise groups. Most of which incorporate elements of both into their music. I can't really think of much  to say about this release but if you enjoy drone and/or noise this album is a must listen.

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