#2026AlbumDiscoveries
27: Songs: Ohia | S/T (1997)
Starting with The Electric Magnolia Co. makes what came before almost impossible to live up to.
And while this is a much more restrained and at times almost solo affair, it is in no way lesser than its more revered bookend...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
26. MF DOOM | Operation: DOOMSDAY. (1999)
Daniel Dumile's first release under the MF DOOM moniker is a triumph. Madvillainy is more instant, but there's so much great stuff here, and after so much turmoil, losing his brother a few years earlier...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
25. Dennis Wilson | Pacific Ocean Blues (1977)
Blimey, this packs an emotional punch. Wilson's gritty vocals counteracting with gorgeous production for very real songs of regret and a life lived to the full, for better or worse, this is a real record.
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
24. Madvillain | Madvillainy (2004)
Been listening to this at least once a day for the past week and coherent thoughts are no closer than the first time I'd heard The Illest Villains.
MF DOOM and Madlib at creative peaks combining for something special...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
23. Office Culture | Enough (2024)
I've listened to this 'double' album half a dozen times since the weekend and I still can't get nearly enough of it.
Steely Dan comparisons are easy, but there's so much more to this. It's as sprawling as it is cohesive.
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
22. Yo La Tengo | And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
I've known the closing track for a fair few years, so it's both shocking that it took me this long to hear this album and no surprise whatsoever that I enjoyed it this much...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
21. Erykah Badu | Mama's Gun (2000)
Been a lot of noise about this album the past few weeks, and it's easy to see why.
Coming three years after her debut, this is a tour de force in songwriting and emotive vocals about very real issues and feelings...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
20. The Rolling Stones | Exile On Main St. (1972)
The ultimate Stones record? Considering I find standard LPs of theirs a bit bloated, this double album keeping my interest right to the last suggests it could be.
A few lows offset by incalculable highs...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
19. Moor Mother | Jazz Codes (2022)
This album is about so much more than music. A host of collaborators make for a wondrous but difficult listen, piecing together the history of typically black music with - jazz, blues, rap - into something special...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
18. Songs: Ohia | The Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)
Bloody hell. This lives up to a stellar online reputation. Every time I see the striking cover, effusive praise isn't far behind. I still think I was undersold the majesty of this album...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
17. Etta James | At Last! (1960)
An incredible record, bettered only by the fact it's James's debut.
Of course, I know the title track '...Make Love...' but the entire thing is sublime.
Her voice is of course nothing short of incredible...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
16. Culture | Two Sevens Clash (1977)
There are a few genres I've never delved into, reggae being one of the biggest.
Kicking off with one of the classics might set the rest up for a fall, but what an exhilarating ride this was all the same...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
15. J Dilla | Donuts (2006)
I have seen so much about this over the past few days, including the seemingly omnipresent @funkentechno.bsky.social
And it really is that incredible. A monumental series of hip hop beats and samples that just get better and better and...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
12. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | Trout Mask Replica
From now, I'm only documenting album discoveries as something big, something I should have listened to by now.
And yeah, this is that. What a bloody ride...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
14. Funkadelic | Funkadelic (1970)
For too long now, Maggot Brain has been my only P-Funk album.
Back to the start, and this is every bit as good as an album starting with 'Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?' deserves to be.
Equal parts funk and darkness...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
13. Moodymann | Black Mahogani (2004)
A name I've heard in passing, unaware of the magic within.
Fusing house and jazz into a concept celebration of Detroit, this truly is an album unlike anything else I've had the pleasure of hearing...
🙏 @funkentechno.bsky.social
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
12. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | Trout Mask Replica
From now, I'm only documenting album discoveries as something big, something I should have listened to by now.
And yeah, this is that. What a bloody ride...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
11. Tangerine Dream | Rubycon (1975)
There's only so many ambient albums one can listen to before revisiting one of the best-known records of its type.
I say revisit as I listened to this once aged 15 and never thought of it again...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
10. Total Blue | Total Blue (2024)
The year I hyperfocus on jazz and ambient music, I stumble across this socially gorgeous record, combining the best of both worlds.
As smooth as silk, with the glossy underbelly of a neon-soaked city for good measure.
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
9. Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays | As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (1981)
Talk about a journey. I have @funkentechno.bsky.social to thank for this one. My introduction to Metheny, and there'll be more to come.
A fusion of ideas form a cohesive path...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
8. Swayzak | Snowboarding In Argentina (1998)
So named as that's what the duo planned to do with the money if this album sold well.
If they didn't achieve that dream, they deserved to, because this is downtempo heaven - and great music to work by.
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
7. Steve Hillage | Rainbow Dome Musick (1979)
As well as free jazz and non-English speaking music this year, I also wanted to find Ambient music worth my time.
Went with one of the best recommended, and what a joy it is.
Euphoric and captivating...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
6. Verve | A Storm In Heaven (1993)
The addition of the definite article really changed this band, eh.
A first listen for #5debutalbums9094 and I'm in love - this is eveyrthing I was promised and more. I'm gutted it's taken me this long to listen...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
5. Tori Amos | Little Earthquakes (1992)
Pushed into listening to this for #5debutalbums9094 one day shy of its birthday.
The fact that it is a debut is staggering - the confidence, the power, the emotion of every track is sublime.
It's in contention...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
4. Curtis Mayfield | Curtis (1970)
Best known for 'Move On Up', Mayfield's debut is so much more than that addictive track, despite the full-length version taking up more of the run-time than is healthy.
Merging creativity with introspection...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
3. Bruce Springsteen | Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978)
One of the most pleasant surprises of last year was my newfound love for Bruce Springsteen.
Nebraska was the dismal gateway, solidified by the euphoria of Born To Run and The River's epicness...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
2. Serge Gainsbourg | Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)
Having filled in so many gaping and obvious blindspots over the past couple of years, I had one eye on expanding my horizons to non-English speaking albums.
This is perhaps one of the best known...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
Nubya Garcia: Odyssey (2024)
Luminous and lyrical jazz from this British sax player.
This live performance is astounding. Nubya sounds like she's channelling 'Trane but adding much of her own too
youtu.be/E7d9T71UWXE?...
#2026AlbumDiscoveries
1. Big Star | #1 Record (1971)
The only place I wanted to start, an album that I should have heard before now, and no finer nor more apt way to start the New Year.
Every song here is undoubtedly great, and it's a travesty this didn't sell well on release.
