Press Play and Sit Your Ass Down: Volume 8
It’s the age of the ipod, shuffle and playlists. But for some artists, albums matter. Some musicians don’t just write and perform songs, they create whole albums to be a start to finish listening experience. Here’s another great list of albums where you just have to press play. Want more? Press Play Vol 1 , Press Play Vol 2. , Press Play Vol. 3, Press Play Vol 4, Press Play Vol 5, Press Play Vol. 6, and Press Play Vol. 7.
So just press play. Sit your ass down. And listen.
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Explorers Club, Grand Hotel
“I think I know this band, is this some unreleased Beach Boys?” That may be the reaction you’ll get from someone hearing the Explorers Club for the first time due to their pop-rock sound and explosive horn section. The bands second album is a throwback to early seventies soft-pop artists with a modern spin. Listen to an album that provides you with music and lyrics that will remind you of a simpler time in an homage to the classic ‘Pet Sounds’ record. The six-piece band from South Carolina lets their musical precision and harmonies do the talking in an album that even Brian Wilson himself would enjoy.
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The Temper Trap, Conditions
You may think you don’t The Temper Trap, but take a listen to one of the bands widely used singles like the title track ‘Sweet Disposition’ and you’ll recognize them immediately. Another great rock band from down under, The Temper Trap’s debut album is the perfect introduction for the young rockers with slow melodic songs like ‘Love Lost’ to fast and rhythmic ‘Fader’ . The album is highlighted by the groups musical precision and lead vocalist Dougy Mandagi’s falsetto vocals could be classified as an instrument by themselves. The ban followed up with their second album entitled ‘The Temper Trap’ in 2012.
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Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted
Released in 1992, this debut album of Pavement’s has been cited by countless bands as an influence on their sound. Pavement has a minor hit with Cut Your Hair two years later, but what people really need to listen to is Slanted and Enchanted. The entire album has a great energy that ebbs and flows and ends with the brilliant “Our Singer”. To hear amazing rock from the early 90s, you don’t have to go far from Pavement’s first album.
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Black Keys, Rubber Factory
The Black Keys have since conquered the world with their most recent release, El Camino. But back in 2004 they were still up and comers and the Rubber Factory had just come out. White boy blues done correctly, this album just sounds nasty. It features their first gigantic hit, 10 AM Automatic, and one great rock song after another. They might have had to wait for the giant big stream success, but listening to Rubber Factory all the way through, you’ll could of known then these guys were special.
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Gorillaz, Demon Days
Who knew a high concept band made up of cartoon’s could work? Who knew a cartoon band could have a giant international hit with Clint Eastwood? And who knew they could follow up that first album with one even better that also had huge hits? No one did. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s mad brain child’s second album is brilliant. It contains amazing collaborations from Del La Soul, MF Doom, Neneh Cherry and even Dennis Hopper. Do not turn this album off once it is on, between the huge commercial hits are songs that paint a picture of the Gorillaz’s weird world that can’t be missed. It’s an immersive experience.
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