1. Randall Dunn – Mexico City – Beloved (2018)
Randall Dunn is an in demand producer and studio engineer whose resume includes the likes of Earth, Sunn O))), Kayo Dot and Black Mountain to name a few. His specialty seems to be capturing amazing deep tones, particularly for anyone looking to lean heavily on electronic atmospherics or soundscapes. His first solo record, Beloved is an experiment in all things synth. A lot of it calls to mind the mystical darkness of Johann Johannsson’s soundtrack to the film Mandy (which Dunn worked on) mixed with a bit of late era Scott Walker. “Mexico City” is an aural canvas washed with huge strokes of tone color. It’s lush, rich sound feels all encompassing, as though you are being pulled into a black hole of noise. Into the void we go.
2. The Appleseed Cast – Forever Longing The Golden Sunsets – Mare Vitalis (2000)
Mare Vitalis is a special release in The Appleseed Cast’s catalog. It sits between the Sunny Day Real Estate emo-rock of their first album, The End Of The Ring Wars, and their genre defining post-rock two-part epic known as Low Level Owl I and Low Level Owl II. It’s clearly a transitioning point for the group – a coming into their own – but it actually stands up by itself. The songs ride through a wash of loud, distorted guitars and wooshing phasers with clean, ethereal passages, but never steer into the delay heavy effects of their later work. “Forever Longing The Golden Sunsets” glides along its poignant lead guitar and creative percussion. Drummer Josh “Cobra” Baruth probably doesn’t get his proper due for his part in the development of The Appleseed Cast’s sound but the tasteful snare rolls, and bell hits as well as his crushing power during the loud parts are a huge part of what make Mare Vitalis what it is.
3. As Friends Rust – We On Some Next Level Shit – Won (2001)
On Won, Gainesville based hardcore-punk-indie-rock group As Friends Rust took a step away from their previous releases. They toned down the grit and polished themselves up a bit as vocalist Damien Moyal traded his yelled/screamed approach for clean singing and swaying hooks. The song structures got reined into a more straight up rock and roll approach, which worked well with Moyal’s singing. There’s still some underlying punk aggression, but it’s a more mature approach.
4. Hiss Golden Messenger – Cracked Windshield – Heart Like A Levee (2016)
By the time Heart Like A Levee was written, Hiss Golden Messenger bandleader and songwriter MC Taylor had been living the road life for around twenty years. From his early days in the experimental hardcore group ex-Ignota, to his long time psychedelic alt-country band The Court & Spark and on into his venture as Hiss Golden Messenger, Taylor had done the van-living, bar-playing, floor-sleeping independent touring grind. “Cracked Windshield” finds a man questioning it all, as his family back home grows, leaving a wife and kids behind to play all around the world. Then there’s also the dark side of the road, the friends and peers lost in the fight. Taylor makes a thinly veiled reference to the death of his long time friend Jason Molina who succumbed to alcoholism due in no small part to the troubadour lifestyle. No doubt “Cracked Windshield” is a super heavy song on the emotional side as Taylor wonders what lay ahead for him. Like Molina once said, “The road becomes what you leave.”
5. Scott Walker – The Old Man’s Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo-Stalinist Regime) – Scott 4 (1969)
Above I referenced Scott Walker’s later more experimental era, but here we have some material from earlier in his career. In fact, Scott 4 is one of the defining albums for the artist. In his solo career Walker had shed the squeaky clean blue-eyed-soul heartthrob image of his group The Walker Brothers for a more serious and artistic approach. It’s clear on “The Old Man’s Back Again.” Not unlike a Phil Spector production, the song proceeds more like a short symphony than a pop number. String arrangements rise and fall and sweep through themes above the driving acoustic guitar and rhythm section. A chorus of deep “ooooohhhhs” hang through the back calling to mind an Ennio Morricone western score. Walker himself employs a deep croon, crashing his soulful r&b sound right into the center of this artsy baroque pop. It’s an amazing moment in an amazing career.
6. Mogwai – Wizard Motor – Les Revenants Soundtrack (2013)
Les Revenants or The Returned was a French TV series that was at one point available in the U.S. on Sundance Channel, but now I have no idea. Please don’t confuse this with the American version also known as The Returned. The show was based in a small, desolate town that, not unlike Twin Peaks, had a mysterious and potentially dangerous side to it. There were only 2 seasons of it made and the second, filmed three years after the first, unraveled a bit as it went, but that first season is excellent. The musical accompaniment by Scottish Post-Rock group Mogwai is a key to the series overall dark and mysterious vibe. “Wizard Motor” is a synth heavy dirge scraping by on a low-end growl. It certainly has the vibe that there is something out there waiting in the woods.
7. Busdriver – Suing Sony – Temporary Forever (2002)
You’ve never heard another song like this. They don’t exist. There is a website that does some sort of scientific calculation of rappers lyrics to determine who uses the largest vocabulary. Busdriver comes in a close second to Aesop Rock, but the two of them are in a league of their own as far as their choice of words goes. Jedi Mind Tricks and Wu-Tang’s Gza are a good leap behind at numbers three and four. What Busdriver does with those words, though, is spew them out at insane speeds and odd rhythms in a general mind numbing flow. Throw that on top of some weird jazz flute samples and you’ve got a one of a kind thing going on here. Temporary Forever is a really wild listen and “Suing Sony” is an incredibly original track. I don’t know if Busdriver really was suing Sony or not, I guess it doesn’t really matter.
8. Tosca Tango Orchestra – Ballade 4 Part 1 – Waking Life Soundtrack (2001)
Have you ever seen the movie Waking Life? If not go ahead and look it up now, you can come back to my plaguelist later. Waking Life is an experimental film by Richard Linklater that deals with various philosophical questions through a lucid dream experienced by the main character. It’s pretty heavy, and the soundtrack is amazing too. Glover Gill composed the music, and I don’t know much about him besides the fact that he has done some other great film music as well. The Tosca Tango Orchestra is an 8-piece ensemble led by Gill himself on accordion (at least for this soundtrack) that plays some sort of combination of Neuvo Tango and Classical music. This is the first song from the film and it really does a great job of setting up the mood of the rest of the movie. The way the strings and piano play off each other, building up into the moment of “the slap” is incredible. Just listen and you’ll know what I mean. (Also, this was the missing track from Plaguelist #1).
9. Mdou Moctar – Tarhatazed – Ilana: The Creator (2019)
Ilana: The Creator was my Album Of The Year for 2019. Finally an Mdou Moctar record captured the grit and the glory that is his live show. Hailing from Niger and playing an electrified western influenced version of the traditional Tuareg guitar style, Moctar’s skill is unreal. While his band holds down the African grooves, the guitar player rips off lick after lick of psychedelic frenzy, blasting through wormholes of lengthy solos with the power and soul of Hendrix. They did well capturing the vibrant, empowering moods of seeing Moctar and company rip through an incredible set in a small bar. Until we can all do that again, Ilana: The Creator will make do.
10. Anbessa Orchestra – Negestat (Kings) – Negastat (2018)
Sticking with some African sounds, Brooklyn’s Anbessa Orchestra finds themselves combining a number of styles from across the continent. There’s the Ethio-Jazz grooves of Mulatu Astatke present in the wailing horns, while the polyrhythmic percussion and striking guitar chords recall Fela Kuti’s Afro-Beat style. While these influences are obvious, the group manages to combine everything into a unique and fresh take on it. It’s just some funky, groovy shit that will make you want to dance.
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