Best Ever Albums

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 15:17:50 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/12/2020 19:17

LedZep wrote:

Hayden wrote:

LedZep wrote:

I've stopped following the thread for some reason, missed the last week or so 🤡
Any chance of your fav finds list/chart? Gotta listen to some gems.

Ayyy 😁

How's that for timing. You posted that while I was prepping my post.

Lol nice. Great looking list, I've heard a few and will surely dig some of the others.

I must admit, I'm getting worse at ranking films :lol:, that bonus range of 11-20 is pretty much in no order. Hoping people find something they like.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

LedZep — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 12:41:14 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 09/12/2020 16:41

Hayden wrote:

LedZep wrote:

I've stopped following the thread for some reason, missed the last week or so 🤡
Any chance of your fav finds list/chart? Gotta listen to some gems.

Ayyy 😁

How's that for timing. You posted that while I was prepping my post.

Lol nice. Great looking list, I've heard a few and will surely dig some of the others.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 11:43:25 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/12/2020 15:43

LedZep wrote:

I've stopped following the thread for some reason, missed the last week or so 🤡
Any chance of your fav finds list/chart? Gotta listen to some gems.

Ayyy 😁

How's that for timing. You posted that while I was prepping my post.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 11:42:19 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/12/2020 15:42

My 10 favourite finds this time around, (just in case people are wondering maybe where to start)—

10)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Djelikunda by Alisco Diabate
(Guinea)

9)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Qawwali, The Essence Of Desire by Mehr Ali & Sher Ali
(Pakistan)

😎

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Spælimenninir Í Hoydølum by Spælimenninir Í Hoydølum ‎
(Faroe Islands)

7)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Yuyay Jap'ina Tapes by Luzmila Carpio
(Bolivia)

6)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

The Dancing Devils Of Djibouti by Groupe RTD
(Djibouti)

5)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Dilijans by Ayizan
(Haiti)

4)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Ciao! Baby by The Marshmallow Kisses
(Hong Kong)

3)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Mman Gyana by SK Kakraba
(Ghana)

2)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1 by Natalia Lafourcade
(Mexico)

1)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

History Of Heat by Sadaf
(Iran)

10 Runner-ups:

11. Buffet Hotel De La Gare Bamako by Rail Band (Mali)
12. Baby Don't Play Me Wayo by De Frank Kakra (Togo)
13. Mar Azul by Cesária Évora (Cape Verde)
14. Zoona Malawi by Gasper Nali (Malawi)
15. Alice Through The Looking Glass (Music ...Bystriakov (Ukraine)
16. Siti Of Unguja (Romance Revolution On Zanzibar) by Siti Muharam (Tanzania)
17. Planos Para Construir by Mabe Fratti (Guatemala)
18. Hail The King by Akae Beka (Virgin Islands)
19. The Spy From Istanbul by Arman Ratip (Turkey)
20. Mare Verborum by Kayno Yesno Slonce (Bulgaria)

And throw in that double dose from Peru. And that one from Zimbabwe.

My choices from Eswatini, Yemen, England, Australia, India, Gambia, Bahrain, Benin, Singapore and Mauritania were all somewhat familiar to me beforehand (listened to those ones a couple months back), so I won't count them here, but they're still all fantastic releases.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

LedZep — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 11:27:47 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 09/12/2020 15:27

I've stopped following the thread for some reason, missed the last week or so 🤡
Any chance of your fav finds list/chart? Gotta listen to some gems.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Tue, 8 Sep 2020 19:18:24 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/08/2020 23:18

Done.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Tue, 8 Sep 2020 17:38:25 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/08/2020 21:38

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

An American Hero by Philippe Hallais

From: HONDURAS (based UK)

Walking underneath a glitching cave in a video game you found from the dollar bin at a store that doesn't usually sell video game but for some reason well would you look at that! a bin of video games! why's my screen goin fuzzy omg my screen the grey it's coming lef tot right and up annnn I wooonnnnnnn*zaap**zaap**ffffaaaade°*bbbbzzzz°

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Red Rose by The K.A.B.s

From: NAURU

I made a damn account on some obscure streaming site to listen to this. Had to resend the activaction code 4 times. Haven't a clue what they're going to do with my information. Probably sold to somebody with a secret codename by now. They're after me. They know everything. How this cassette ended up in some bizarre corner of the web on a little known platform instead of somewhere people would actually listen to it is beyond me, but I wouldn't of expected it any other way. Nauru isn't exactly a musical treasure chest plethora... my last release from there was basically a drone tone stretched over half an hour. The fact there's a legit release from there from a 80's makes up for it.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Sun, 6 Sep 2020 14:05:21 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/06/2020 18:05

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Terrestrial Spirits by Bankie Banx

From: ANGUILLA

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

In My Blood (En Mi Sangre) by Breed 77

From: GIBRALTAR

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Sat, 5 Sep 2020 12:21:10 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/05/2020 16:21

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Yol Bolsin by Sevara Nazarkhan

From: UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan, who keeps insisting I come eat their horses, hasn't been the biggest international influence on music, but I'm glad this popped up. Was worried it'd be a slog, but it ended up being a unique and fairly enjoyable record. Vocals weren't always entirely my thing, a little drone-y at times, but the instrumentation's solid. If I tried to explain how it sounds I might end up with twenty different elements of other genres. It's this odd mush that somehow procured nothing else comparable.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Mare Verborum by Kayno Yesno Slonce

From: BULGARIA

The soundtrack to Moby Dick. There's hints of almost traditional Scottish and Indian undertones here, strung out in a post-rock structure constantly being consumed by waves. Takes a little to get into it, but it's truly a very good release. Surprised it didn't get too much traction when it came out— it's on par with any other post-rock album I've heard in the past 5 years.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Fri, 4 Sep 2020 12:18:53 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/04/2020 16:18

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Truth Inside The Shades by Persefone

From: ANDORRA

... this just isn't my thing. I won't make any other comments. Won't say it's bad, won't say it's good. Haven't a clue. It's... synth-y melodic death metal, and I've heard it done better. Second half is better than the first.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Aralkum by Galya Bisengalieva

From: KAZAKHSTAN (based UK) (Redo!)

Now this I like :). Minimalistic neo-classical. Beautiful stuff. Would make a fantastic film soundtrack. Mix is a smidge low, but I think that's on purpose. My... erm... other entry from Kazakhstan wasn't actually from Kazakhstan... kinda like how Matana Roberts isn't from Indonesia. This is a lovely new release though, definitely gets a thumbs up.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Barefoot In The Snow by Susi Varming

From: SVALBARD & JAN MAYEN

So cold there's only one chord per song. Hands are frozen to the guitar neck. So frosty.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Thu, 3 Sep 2020 10:58:53 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/03/2020 14:58

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Miniatures De Auto Rhythm by Domenique Dumont

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Comme Ça by Domenique Dumont

From: LATVIA

Nighttime summer grooves from a time nighttime summer grooves still existed (2018).

Two fairly short releases by Domenique Dumont. They sound great on headphones. Despite being releases years apart, you can really just go back-to-back with these two.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Wed, 2 Sep 2020 11:26:16 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 09/02/2020 15:26

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Pjesme S Planine by Drago Mlinarec

From: CROATIA

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Clover by Alban Darche/ Sebastien Boisseau/ Jean-Louis Pommier

From: FRANCE

Ah— remember the good times? Watchin' sports. Scarfing something hot on a stick while staring at a tiny screen propped up in the corner of a pizzeria surrounded by fifty plastic chairs and a smidge of alcohol. Remember that time Spain lost to Russia? That was embarrassing. Not sure what happened there. Remember people? Seeing people? Together, in a group. Hi-faves. Hugs. Oh, the nostalgia....

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 17:45:45 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/30/2020 21:45

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

�'γκάθθιν ● Angathin by Monsieur Doumani

From: CYPRUS

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

40º Of Sunshine by Bibi Tanga & The Selenites

From: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Both of these are fun, but I haven't a clue what they're thinking making them 🤣

Energetic, fun, celebratory... and definitely a little weird. Both are genre mushes, particularly the Bibi Tanga record, but I'd still give them reviews landing on the more positive side of things.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 12:12:23 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/28/2020 16:12

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Indexi by Indexi

From: BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

This hit above expectations. Short record, only a couple tracks, but they're all solid rock compositions. I think this is a comp, so that might be why it's a great selection, but everything here is top-notch. Cover's crazy dated, but the music holds a lot better.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Open Loops by Pete Philly

From: ARUBA

Was it smart to listen to this directly after the new Blu & Exile? No. Wasn't until about the halfway point I realized it was pretty good. Unique production, decent bars, and the guy knows how to rap. Reminds me of a time lost in underground hip-hop. Things like this just don't exist anymore.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Leslie "Hutch" Hutchinson

From: GRENADA (based UK)

Breaking code here. This isn't an album. *gasp*

Just a dude who didn't release an album.

100s of songs.

Some harder to find than others.

One of the biggest cabaret stars of all time.

Lovers include Cole Porter and Edwina Mountbatten.

Downton Abbey inspiration.

Knew how to play piano.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 12:19:13 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/27/2020 16:19

Getting down to the wire 😎

Have to say, this went smoother than last time. Even though it was only 2.5 years that passed since I did this last, album archive accessibility and the ability to produce albums has skyrocketed, and finding records was much easier than last time.

At the end of this I'm going to post my 10 favourite finds. Think that might help boil it down for people looking for recs.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 11:52:09 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/27/2020 15:52

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Zelená Pošta by Pavol Hammel & Marián Varga

From: SLOVAKIA

Psych-rock/ prog mix. Somewhat run of the mill in my opinion, but it might just be right up some people's alleys. The duo kinda looks like an attorney and their client, which somehow makes this better.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Colours Of One by Stanley Roots

From: TURKS & CAICOS

It's... well, passable. Not my type of reggae though. Stanley's going back-and-forth between guitar-heavy tracks and tackier choruses. Occasionally he hits it, but it's already pretty dated.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Desire 願う by Spazzkid

From: PHILIPPINES (based USA)

This is one of those dudes who just knows he has to do something musical with his life. I think he's done near everything at this point, and he's pretty young. Solid production here (chillwave, post-dubstep, that wheelhouse).

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:06:24 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/26/2020 16:06

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Flare Up by Harry Beckett

From: BARBADOS (based UK)

(this is significantly better than the 20-years-dated cover would suggest). A lot more progressive than I figured it would be. Some fantastic compositions here.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Ožiljak by Miladin Šobić

From: MONTENEGRO

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Al Zman Saib by Fadoul

From: MOROCCO

One of the first releases from Habibi Funk (their #2).

Quote:

It took me until 2014 to find first infos about Fadoul and the news I got through members of another Moroccan band called the Golden Hands. They told me that Fadoul had passed away a long time ago. As sad as it was to hear this, it was the start of a hunt that started with a phone call to another Morroccan singer called Tony Day who knew where Fadoul’s family used to live in the 1980s. Another trip to Morocco, countless taxi rides, and numerous phone calls and street conversations later we were standing in front of the house of Fadoul’s family in central Casablanca. We ended up meeting one of his sisters who shared beautiful stories with us about her brothers life. A creative spirit who painted, played theatre and eventually ended up dedicating most of his energy to music. He spent some time living in Paris soaking up the music of James Brown, Free and other American bands, laying the foundation of his unique mix of arabic and western musical influences. After his recording career he kept on making music in the 1980s, exploring new musical grounds. One of the jingles of a big Moroccan orange juice brand is composed by him. He got married and had two children. Fadoul passed 1991 in Casablanca at the age of 50.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:30:55 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/25/2020 15:30

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Hus by Hanne Borchgrevink

From: NORWAY

Hubro minus the Hubro. Freeform minimalistic... jazz? Classical? Ish. It's that Norwegian mishmush they've been doing the past few years. Record's a bit sparse, but still worth a listen.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Blood Moon Underworld by MISOGI

From: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (based UK)

I... don't know exactly what this is. It's kinda a mess. Dream... gaze... r&b folk metal?... deconstructed. Bizarre mix. It's like if a Bon Iver tape broke.... but maybe not as good, and if he felt like maybe he needed to half-rap some things overtop 90s sounding vibes. It's also got this understated smushing of Owl City and Sufjan Stevens somewhere in there. There's just way too much going on here.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Tangio Tumas by Narasirato

From: SOLOMON ISLANDS

Repeat artist, sorry. Solid live album. Spun this a while back, but I'm having a difficult time with Solomon Islands... regardless, this is pretty good, and I have no qualms giving it a rec.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 10:51:17 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/24/2020 14:51

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Negirdėta Lietuva by Saulius Petreikis

From: LITHUANIA

A bonkers tasting menu of 35 unique and different Lithuanian (and other local) instruments played by this dude who likes to walk in blizzards. Dude plays a lot of instruments for short periods of time, but I can't say there's really any songs here or anything like that. It's just a platter. Charcuterie. Snowballs.

(thumbs up though)

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana by S.E. Rogie

From: SIERRA LEONE

Unless they're Canadian.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Take It Easy by Leo "The Lion" Mathisen

From: DENMARK

Leo (The Lion), cigar-smoking pianoman, does his jazz stuff. If you wander about Copenhagen long enough you'll find that you're walking on a street a jazz musician lived on. Duke Jordan. Thad Jones. Ben Webster. Kenny Drew. Stan Getz. Tchicai. Maybe even this fellow named Leo The Lion Mathisen. Jazz is as much of a Danish staple as perhaps the danish itself, which is not truly Danish, but the jazz is.

Re: Around The World In 80 Or So Days

Hayden — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 12:51:28 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/22/2020 16:51

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Mirror In Mirror by Skip Skip Ben Ben

From: TAIWAN

Garage rock, in an apartment. Dreamy psych with a plethora of pedals and sparse vocals floating ontop. It's a nice record. Deserves a bit more love.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

El Cielo by Lolabúm

From: ECUADOR

The Strokes, in Spanish.

Maybe not Is This It, but somewhere on the level for Room on Fire for sure.

Good ol' band stuff.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

The Spy From Istanbul by Arman Ratip

From: TURKEY

Not going to sugarcoat it, I went through three other Turkish records before deciding on this one. Just didn't really care for the others at all and figured I could dig up something better. This is better. A one-off record, I don't think Arman Ratip did anything else, but this is a stellar 4-track avant-garde jazz record. Plenty of life. Title track is a major standout.