Think Tree

Think Tree, “Everything Is Equal”

This is extremely college radio circa 1991. If you wanted to know what that sounded like. (Nobody should.)

Portishead, “The Rip”

Portishead put out an absolute stone-cold classic in Dummy and a fine follow-up, Portishead, before disappearing. Nobody really sounded like them then, despite plenty of people trying. But, surprisingly, they weren’t actually done. 11 years after their second, they put out Third, and there’s still nobody sounding like them. The album isn’t really the same cinematic trip-hop that they used to make, instead blazing their way into a brand new direction. I’m not even really sure how to describe it, honestly. I guess it’s just experimental rock? For a band that was always an outlier, Third is the outlier-iest.

Quasimoto, “Don’t Blink”

Quasimoto is one of Madlib’s many aliases, and probably the most unhinged of his various projects. The production in particular is spastic, with sounds popping in and out in unpredictable ways, giving the proceedings a lurching feel that is diquieting. Combine that with his disaffected, helium-accented flow, and it’s just a very strange record. Really good, though.

Tortoise, “Spiderwebbed”

The first Tortoise record is a landmark in post-rock, representing an approach to making music with guitars and drums that would help inspire lots of following bands. I don’t think it’s their best record, but it’s excellent stuff, and it’s easy to see why this album got people excited.

Young Fresh Fellows, “Barky’s Spiritual Store”

There was a nine year break between 1992’s It’s Low Beat Time and 2001’s Because We Hate You, with Scott McCaughey spending time in the interim both touring with R.E.M. and spending time with his other band, the Minus 5. And when this album came out, it was actually a double album, with the other album from the Minus 5. So, all McCaughey, but with different people accompanying him.