7/28/2010

Top 10 Most Slept On Albums


Top Ten most slept on albums (for those unsure of what "slept on" means, its slang for underrated); these are just my opinion about records that I love, that you don't hear much about. They don't make magazines top 100 lists, and people don't talk about them much but if you know anything about music you will agree that these are some of the finest pieces ever recorded. If you do not have a clue about good solid lyrics and simple like whatever is played for you on the radio or television (or heaven forbid in the club), then you need to open your ears and download/buy/steal these albums.

 



  1. Bubba Sparxx; Deliverance (2003) – Probably the greatest album by a white rapper, far better than anything that Aryan asshole from Detroit ever created. Filled with the wondrous sounds of the New South and the first (to my knowledge) marriages of bluegrass and hip-hop. You don't hear many people talking about it even though it did eventually go Gold. It should have gone Platinum and should be a part of any true hip-hop fans collection. Bubba Sparxx isn't mentioned much but his skills on the mike are not to be fucked with he drops tons of jewels on this record such as "Back on my feet with a hint of bitterness, and one way or another I shall have deliverance". People are quick to bring up Ms. New Booty, or Ugly, but not many can name one track of his sophomore gem. There are more amazing tracks on this than any other album Timbaland ever touched. He should do himself favor and work with Bubba for the rest of his life. Hopefully people can rediscover Bubba on Big Boi's Purple Ribbon Label, but if not we will always have this classic. "Let these cat's keep bumpin' gums, I'll just grind on and get it done"





  2. Cool Breeze; East Points Greatest Hits(1999)- "Cool people-where you at?" I may be biased to southern hip-hop being from the South; I could fill this list with records from various members of the Dungeon Family especially. Witch Doctor, Backbone, Cee Lo, P.A., and the like. I could go on and on about Field Mob, Haystacks or even North Carolinas own Little Brother, but I have to go back to where the title Dirty South started. The most underrated and baddest member of the Dungeon crew-Cool Breeze! You cannot deny the power of this record. My cousin introduced me to this record a few years after it came out and I haven't been without it since. I have owned several copies and downloaded it at least twice. But no matter what transpires I know I have to have it in my rotation at all time. From the classic Butter to the awe inspiring The Field, to the Dungeon repping Watch for the Hook I can recite the entire album from start to finish. Whenever I feel myself under pressure I always quote Black Gangster "You loosing it Champ! You loosing it!" This album also serves as the truest map of ATL. If you're ever lost driving around Atlanta put this album in and it's better than GPS.




  3. Murder by Death; In Boco Al Loca(2006)- Indians own Murder by Death are a hybrid between Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Johnny Cash, and Low. Instead of a saxophone though they have a Cello player and all their members are alive and kicking. They consistently put out great albums which fail to garner them mainstream success, but those in the know are in love with their sound. I fell in love with them a few years ago when they played a club I worked at in Atlanta. They accompanied the crew to The Claremont Lounge and got righteously ripped with all of us. I tried hitting on the ultra sexy cellist only to discover that the lead singer was her husband. The songs on this album though are among my favorites they showcase the amazingly narrative lyrics of lead vocalist Adam Turla the absolute best of any of their other work. 

    4.The Feelies; Crazy Rhythm(1980)-When Comprising this list there were a lot of bands with underrated albums that I considered. I thought about who was influential, who was unheard of, who was simply too amazing to be left out and one group in my collection fit all three of these categories-The Feelies. Formed in 1976 in New Jersey the band spent most of their career in the shadow of The Talking Heads, though similar it's easy to argue who influenced who, the band stayed together far longer, not splitting until 1992. They never achieved the commercial success of the Talking heads, but their music is equally as timeless and in many respects better. There isn't the overly dramatic preening and pop star dreams of David Byrne. The band did appear in Jonathan Demme's film Something Wild, and released a few more albums before unceremoniously disbanding when co-lead singer Bill Million unexpectedly moved to Florida without telling any of his band mates, without leaving a forwarding address. They reunited in 2008, but the truth is they could never recapture the pure genius of this their first LP. They had many line-up changes over the years and tons of great songs, I have more than a few Feelies records on my shelf (yes kids I'm old enough o own actual records)





  4. Rice; Fuck You This Is Rice (1994)-If you've never heard of this band don't worry you're not alone, but you are missing out. If you ever liked punk (real punk not Green Day who also debuted on Look-Out Records), if you ever enjoyed music hard fast and to the point then Rice is the epitome of that genre. Featuring members of Rocket from the Crypt, The Peechees, Physics, and Beehive and the Barracudas Rice was a San Diego based band that only put out this one fantastic album. The liner notes are filled with hand drawn instructions on how to do all of your favorite Rice-related dance moves, such as the Rice Picker and the Rice Stomp. A parody of sorts of the burgeoning hardcore scene that was emerging from the ashes of early 90s punk rock, Fuck You stands as one of the best punk albums of the era, and one of the greatest hardcore albums of all time. Blending thrash metal into punk to inspire a generation of kids that are still trying to recapture that sound today. Every so-called hardcore "act' performing right now owes a debt of gratitude to Rice. Oh yeah and every song is about Rice!










  5. Poster Children; (Any Poster Children Album)-I wanted a Poster Children album on this list, but I couldn't pick just one. Most hipsters haven't even heard of the Champaign, Illinois indie powerhouse, but you've heard a million bands that have been trying to sound like them since the 90s. They were so far ahead of their time they were producing multimedia Disc when most bands were still selling cassettes. They are so amazing and prolific other bands quote them without even knowing it. If you've ever heard your favorite band say "If you see Kay-tell her I'm okay" then chances are they are a fan of the Poster Children. From Daisy Chain Reaction, to Tool of Man, Flower Plower, and RFTM, each album is filled with non-stop tunes that hold up against the very best of Super Chunk, Archers of Loath or even Sonic Youth. With lyrics better than Pavement and anything Lou Barlow ever offered up the Poster Children are in themselves the most underrated indie groups ever! A bold statement I know, check them out and see if you don't kick yourself for not listening to them in 94 when you should have been.

    Poster Children - If you see Kay (official video) from .-. on Vimeo.

  6. Fear of Pop; S/T- A one off side project of Winston-Salem, North Carolinas own Ben Fold featuring the one and only William Shatner this album was on constant rotation at my house from 1998-1999. The aforementioned collaboration with Shat-Rock-Diesel is of course the greatest song on the album, but the entire record is solid. It's very electronic/trip-hoppy which was once something I was heavily into.




  7. Ben Nichols; Last Pale Light In The West- Lead singer of underground darlings Lucero (who are themselves among the most underrated bands in the world), this solo outing I picked up a year ago on the Revival Tour. It sounds a lot like a Lucero album, but with less of the rock and more of the amazing lyrics. It's like all the bands saddest songs on one album and it's fucking phenomenal. I wish we had had this album when we drove across country. The songs are amazingly crafted gems that beg for you to look wistfully at the setting sun in the desert somewhere between Texas and California. I dare anyone to listen to this record and not feel the urge to jump in a car and drive until the run out of gas. It's made for the romantic alcoholic in each of us. My favorite track is The Kid, unofficially my themes song and if ever a movie is made of my life it will play in the opening credits.




  8. Carla Bozulich; The Red Headed Stranger- A cover album is rarely a good idea. Covering a legend like Willie Nelson is an even worse idea, nobody can do it like Willie let's face it. And to cover what is arguably one of Willies greatest and most legendary records sounds like a recipe for disaster. That is of course you are Carla Bozulich, lead singer of The Geraldine Fibbers and you not only get Willies blessing but impress him enough to get him to duet on not one but two songs on the album. In some respects Ms. Bozulich does a better job than old Willie himself. It's amazing how under the radar this album flew. I would have never known about it had I not caught her performing the entire thing track for track in Atlanta years ago. She was amazing and afterwards I got a chance to meet her. She actually thought we had met before (unfortunately we hadn't), she did however complement my eyes and I blushed like a little school girl (which is hard since I'm a six foot one African-American).




  9. Jim Crow; Crow's Nest-The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated racial segregation in public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for African-Americans. Jim Crow is also the most unheard of group from ATL I have been playing this album for anyone who comes to y home since 1998 when I copped an early release copy from a girlfriend of mine that worked at a record store that no longer exist. More known for their follow up Right Quick featuring the anthem Holla at a Playa, this was their tightest work. Calling out Little John as a band geek before most people had even heard of him. Each track is priceless, I'd put up any song against Outkast any day. With beats by Jazzy Pha who later went on to his own min-fame run, and featuring such luminaries as Too $hort, and Juvenile when he was still riding high off Back That Thang Up. This album has one of my all time favorite tracks That Drama (Baby's Mama) in which they proudly proclaim that they "know it's gonna be drama-but I got thang for your baby's mama!", and a trip to the local gentlemen's club isn't complete without repeating the line "

  10.  

    This list could have been a mile long but I wanted to round it off at ten. Don't be mad if your favorite band or album wasn't mentioned. Write your own list, send it in or post it yourself. If you are interested in other music that we are bumping in the armada headquarters check out our lastfm. channel and friend us up.

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