Adult Swim has a lot of great compilations, and my favorite is African Swim, which showcases some fantastic hip-hop from a continent that doesn't get a lot of musical representation around these parts. "When We Rock" is a particular standout that features PROkid spitting rhymes with whirlwind speed and proficiency. As far as I can tell this compilation is the only place a lot of artists have appeared, which is saddening since there's a lot of great talent on it. You can download it for free at the link below.
I-Robots is another treat, featuring some great cuts from the golden age of Italo-Disco. These guys were pioneers of modern dance music and they directly influenced groups like the Human League and New Order, and besides the historical value a lot of these tracks really jam. There's a lot to love here if you can look past the kitsch.
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Possibly my favorite out of all of these is Trojan's rocksteady boxset. This is the release that, along with Desmond Dekker's debut album, made me understand reggae's appeal. So many of the tracks here are catchy and good-natured to the degree that you would have to be some kind of hellish ghoul to dislike them and while that IS an exaggeration, the point is that these songs are hella good and compliment the presence of beaches nicely. _________________ I love all music. It makes you feel like living. Silence is death.
some good choices so far (particularly like the Warp compilations). If this is turning into a best electronica compilations thread, then the following three albums were very influential for me, and still bring back great memories:
Great acid house compilation from when the scene first started (I was living in London around that time):
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Some brilliant tunes here (this compiled by Oakenfold and Pete Tong in 1988):
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Summer of love '89 (some great tracks on this album capturing the spirit of that summer):
I don't know what VA means, but as far as compilations go, this one is a great sampler of college radio music in the 80's and the beginning of indie rock:
Left of the Dial: Dispatches From the Eighties Underground
There was this Serbian post punk/new wave album that compiled the songs by three different artists. It's not exactly a typical compilation though, cause the songs were made for the album (not before) and if you listen to it, you'll hear that the production is pretty much the same in all of the songs. But if you're interested:
VA - Paket Aranžman
I'd suggest the Ethiopiques collection of ethiojazz, absolutely indispensable. The Nuggets collection is a must-have, the best of the best of garage rock anthems and rarities.
Oh, and of course, the Anthology of American Folk Music, on Folkways Rec. About anthologies, two great ones are the Chess Anthology, and the Stax/Vox singles collection.
I'm taking some of the suggestions here. I have listened to far too many albums recentely and now would like single tracks and many artists to broaden horizons a lot further before going back to albums.
I'll say what happens when I get anything from here. Would love to see more suggestions too.
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