Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms (2009)

There's honestly too much to say about this classic. I accidentally discovered one of the songs on this album on youtube a little after the album dropped & instantly fell in love. Since then, it has become one of my favorite albums of all time. Like, I remember constantly listening to it all the time throughout the last 2 years of high school (along with Toro Y Moi). It's also one of the very few albums where I thouroughly enjoy every song on there. Alright, enough history. On to the album. This is a huge homage to the synth heavy/psychadelic sounds of the 80's. Alan Palomo (Neon Indian) himself has even said that he has always felt trapped in that era. That being said, it's mainly an electronic sounding album, but its pretty mellow at the same time. Or one can say, chill. That's why it was lumped into a genre known as CHILLWAVE haha. Vocals are dreamy/lazy/hazy/filtered and just have some sort of calming effect on you. Lyrics cover a lot of topics like a missed acid date, being bored & lazy, anxiety/uncertainty, & just CHILLING. Even the warped-out analog synths CHILL you out. Samples are pretty prevalent on this record too. You got everything from italo disco to 70's art rock in this gem. He even sampled one of his dad's songs. (His dad, Jorge Palomo, was a sorta famous pop musician in Mexico.) Long story short, this album is fanfuckingtastic from start to finish. It's perfect for long drives on hot summer days or times when you wanna spark a little somethin somethin.
*I used to have the release with the alternate cover & remixes, but I let one of my exes borrow it & I never got it back (Yana, I'm looking at you...).
**Theres a little paragraph he wrote in the liner notes and one line has always stuck with me. It said, "And with much finality, thank you to the women who've broken my heart, I couldn't have done this without you." Looks like heartbreak can be useful after all haha.

Standout Tracks: Deadbeat Summer, Terminally Chill, Should Have Taken Acid With You, Psychic Chasms, THE WHOLE FUCKING ALBUM

Sounds Like: Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Animal Collective

Charli XCX - True Romance (2013) [iTunes Plus Deluxe Edition]

Oh jeez, where do I start with this album? Umm… True Romance really helped me pave the road for my sudden interest towards the pop genre. With one full spin of this album on the first try, I steadily gave this record a listen almost every single day afterwards. I was never stuck with 1 favorite track. I always had different tracks on different days on repeat a vast majority of the time (well except for the song you’re the one, lol). One excellent quality I noticed about xcx is her production taste. Before I dove into the misty environment, I had to analyze the productions credits to see if I knew about anyone and I did. I jaw dropped when I viewed Paul White (produced some of Danny Brown’s, XXX & Atrocity Exhibition), BloodPop (produced for Grimes, Madonna, Tinashe, Gaga, Beibz etc.) Gold Panda and many more producers that have earned recognition. Production contains ethereal elements, sprinkles of synthpop & to my surprise some tracks even have a witch house vibe. “Stay Away”, carries a dark-light sensational feel along with a memorable chorus that will leave you frozen. “Grins”, has an energetic beat that switches up a gear once charli sings about the uncertainty about her partner. The fun track “Cloud Auroa” stands out from the other tracks since it features charli delivering baby comical bars along with Brooke Candy. “How can I” is the track hinting a witch house influence from the start to the finish. Generally speaking, you can hear the different emotions and flavors all diverted from one another to create a magical album. In conclusion, a successful debut album that brings many variations to the pop genre. If you’re into this album I highly suggest you pick up her previous mixtapes, Super Ultra & Heartbreaks and Earthquakes since it helped lay the framework down for True Romance. 

Purchase @ (iTunes or Amazon)

LIL UGLY MANE - MISTA THUG ISOLATION (2012)

AIGHT PLAYAS IT'S TIME TO HIT Y'ALL WITH SOME OF THAT PHONK. I first discovered this rap gem on tumblr around 2013 when this underground album was blowing up. What first caught my eye was the cheesy-90's-photoshop-looking album that wouldn't look out of place if you were to lump it in with old dirty south rap albums like Three Six Mafia's 1995 EP: Live By Yo Rep. The album sounds like it belongs in that era too. Surpisingly, Lil Ugly Mane is a white dude who pitched his voice down for this album. He also produced all of the tracks under his Shawn Kemp alias. Production on here is bass heavy with little bits of grit here and there. Its also full of dope samples, ranging from Alexander O'Neal to a 911 call about a dead body that was found in an alley (TWISTIN). Braggadocio and menacing as fuck, Ugly Mane raps about how many hoes he has (LOOKIN 4 THA SUCKIN), how high his stacks of cash are (BITCH I'M LUGUBRIOUS), and how he'll pull out his 9 & leave you crying like a bitch (HOEISH ASS BITCH). His delivery is pretty damn flawless too, especially since his flow is A1. All of the tracks on here are bangers, save for the 1st one. The 1st track is a mix of harsh noise/power electronics that will pretty much destroy your ears unless you're into that shit. (I personally kinda am into some harsh noise acts, but i didnt feel that track tbh.) So turn up that bass & blow out your speakers to this instant underground classic.
P.S. - Expect more of his work on here, since he's one of my favorite rappers of all time.

Standout Tracks: NO SLACK IN MY MACK, TWISTIN, BITCH I'M LUGUBRIOUS, SERIOUS SHIT, RADIATION (LUNG POLLUTION)

Sounds Like: Three Six Mafia, Xavier Wulf, DJ Smokey

Support Him Here: https://liluglymane.bandcamp.com/album/mista-thug-isolation