Welcome to 2025. January looks to be a little light on new releases coming up so I will be sharing some albums from the last few decades that I think have been under appreciated. Hope you find something you’ve never heard before that you like.
Visit the NToM Linktree page: NToM to choose the tracks or albums you want to listen to. Or, import this week’s entire playlist into your library here: NToM #23
This playlist includes every track I’ve featured on NToM so keep coming back to get the latest link, it will grow each week: NToM Tracks
70s Track
Album – Maggot Brain
Artist - funkadelic
Top Tracks – Maggot Brain
Genre - Funk, Psychedelic, Soul, R&B
My take – The opening track is so good I imagine people bought the album just for that track.
80s Album
Album – Big Night Music
Artist - Shriekback
Top Tracks – The Shining Path, The Reptiles And I, Sticky Jazz
Genre - Alternative
My take – 80s experimentation at it’s best. This is a genre denying effort that fuses jazz, pop, synths, afro-beats and more. And these guys are still making good music today.
90s Album
Album – Above
Artist - Mad Season
Top Tracks – Wake Up, River of Deceit, Artificial Red, Lifeless Dead
Genre - Grunge
My take – This may not have flown under everyone’s radar but I’ve met plenty of Alice & Chains and Pearl Jam fans that didn’t know this album exists. A supergroup consisting of Layne Staley (Alice & Chains), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees) and John Saunders (The Walkabouts). The whole album is good.
00s Album
Album – Situation
Artist - Buck 65
Top Tracks – 1957, Shutter Buggin’, Spread ‘Em, Cop Shades
Genre - Rap, Hip-Hop
My take – Skilled Nova Scotian rapper pairs killer beats, unique delivery and catchy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics for an entertaining hip-hop album.
10s Album
Album – Convergence
Artist - Malia & Boris Blank
Top Tracks – Claire Cadillac, Magnetic Lies, Tears Run Dry
Genre - Alternative/Indie, Electronic, Jazz
My take – Convergence is the perfect name for this album as it is the joint creation of sultry jazz singer Malia and Boris Blank of Yello (Ferris Bueller’s “Oh Yeah”). And it really works. To the point that I wish they would collaborate again as I’m left wanting more.
20s Album
Album – NOW! 2073
Artist - Noir Disco
Top Tracks – Los Angeles, Heart Pressure, 2073, Pleasure Pain
Genre - Post-Punk, Alternative
My take – Post-punk dance beats take lead on this fairly lo-fi album. Listen to Heart Pressure, 2073 and Pleasure Pain in succession as they are all the same hook just used differently in each song.
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