5 Excellent Albums You’ve Never Heard Of
To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 by Alabaster DePlume (2020)
The timing of this release was perfect. As the world locked down and felt cold and dark, DePlume offered this little bit of light and warmth. His unconventional playing style, complete with a very prominent vibrato that hasn’t been in fashion since the ’50s were what pulled me in, and I almost dismissed it as a gimmick, but the more I listened, the more I loved it. There’s so much playfulness and joy, mixed with just the right amount of wistfulness. Listening to this album is an experience that deserves one’s full attention. It’s not background music.
Moods And Grooves by Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra (2015)
There was a clothing store in Edmonton with a small selection of records that catered mostly to DJs. I’ve found some neat hip hop and drum & bass releases there over the years. One time, though, I asked if they had anything in stock featuring wind instruments. They just about dismissed it as impossible when one of them remembered they had Moods and Grooves. I noticed the Ubiquity label, gave it a quick sample listen, and took it home. What a great mix of beats, strings, brass and percussion! It’s like a chamber orchestra playing a hip hop gig. It’s fun, odd, and just really good.
Romances by Kaada/Patton (2004)
Having been a Mike Patton fan since the Mr. Bungle days, I picked this up just because it had his name on it. I wasn’t familiar with John Kaada, but this album quickly informed me that he would become one of my favourite composers and musicians. This release is truly unlike anything I’ve heard before or after. Strange, creepy, silly, boastful, weirdly hummable noises at every track. Listening to Romances in the dark, after midnight, during a storm, with wine is likely the best way to experience this creative wonder.
Ambivalence Avenue by Bibio (2009)
This gritty, lo-fi release is what I wish pop music sounded like; it’s wildly creative, fun, emotive, cool, and full of surprises. The styles vary from track to track, yet seem to fit together cohesively. It’s unconventional enough that you’re unlikely to hear it outside of community radio or your cool friend’s record collection, but it’s not deliberately weird or anything. It’s cool headphone music for sunny or rainy days, alike.
Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp (2000)
At a record store stop during a group roadtrip, Cory recommended Goldfrapp’s new album, Black Cherry (2003) to me, saying I’d like it. That’s all I needed to go on, so I scooped it up. I ended up really digging it, and later found their debut release, Felt Mountain. This was something else. As it turns out, they made a conscious decision to be more fun and dancy after this release and that’s kinda too bad because I think this album is their best. It’s electronic music at its core, but the beautiful strings and expertly delivered vocals, mixed with the right touches of analog synth, jazz lounge, and Bond sexiness make this an album unlike any other.