1. Shout for Joy
This 1960 collection from Sister Rosetta Tharpe is foundational, plain and simple. Her electric guitar cuts through, fusing the sacred fire of gospel with a raw, secular swagger. You can hear the very bedrock of what would become rock and roll in her audacious riffs and powerful delivery. It’s a joyous, defiant noise that bypassed categories, proving rhythm and blues could also be spirit-filled. A seismic tremor that still reverberates through electric music today.
2. The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - 2008 Remaster
Roky Erickson’s unhinged vocals, that electric jug – this 1966 beast remains the blueprint for unadulterated acid-rock. The 2008 remaster finally gives this raw, garage-psych masterpiece the sonic punch it always deserved, stripping away some of the original's muddiness without sanitizing its feral energy. It's a trip into the Texas underground, a primal scream from the era's nascent counterculture that still feels dangerous.
3. The United States Of America
Here’s a 1968 relic that truly pushed the envelope. The United States of America crafted a psychedelic soundscape built not just on guitars, but on early electronic synthesis and avant-garde arrangements. It was a bold, challenging fusion, blurring the lines between rock band and experimental sound lab. This wasn't about catchy tunes; it was about atmosphere and innovation, a sonic blueprint for future electronic explorations in rock.
4. They Say I'm Different
Betty Davis, 1974. This record was a raw, unapologetic declaration. Her blistering funk grooves and audacious lyrics tore down walls, demanding attention with a primal, fearless energy. She fused James Brown's rhythmic precision with a proto-punk attitude, embodying a fierce, untamed sexuality that was years ahead of her time. It’s a defiant, exhilarating blast of pure, unadulterated soul power that still resonates.
5. Faust IV (Deluxe Edition)
Faust’s 1973 opus, presented here in its deluxe form, is Krautrock at its most expansive and hypnotic. This wasn't about verse-chorus structures; it was an open-ended exploration of rhythm and texture, often built on industrial clang and motorik grooves. It redefined what rock could be, pushing past blues-based conventions into a vast, abstract soundscape. Essential listening for anyone charting experimental music’s course.
6. Pink Flag (2006 Remastered Version)
Wire's 1977 debut, in its 2006 remastered glory, is a clinic in punk economy and intellectual aggression. Stripped to the bone, these short, sharp shocks of sound carved a new path, rejecting rock's bloated excesses with surgical precision. It’s a minimalist blueprint for post-punk's angularity and art-school intelligence, proving that sometimes less isn't just more, it's a goddamn revelation. Still razor-sharp.
7. The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu's 1978 debut was a jarring, glorious racket, a post-punk manifesto from Cleveland's industrial landscape. David Thomas's idiosyncratic vocals, the angular guitars, that clanking percussion – it all coalesced into something profoundly unsettling yet undeniably compelling. It defied easy categorization, a Dadaist art-rock statement that fused raw energy with an intellectual, experimental edge. Still sounds vital and unnerving.
8. 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Remastered)
Throbbing Gristle's 1979 album, remastered, remains a disturbing, brilliant subversion. The title, a cruel joke. The music, a harrowing plunge into industrial soundscapes, all bleak electronics and confrontational noise. It’s anti-music as art, designed to provoke, to discomfort, to strip away any notion of pop pleasantry. This record is a monument to industrial's formative, unsettling power, still challenging the listener.
9. Come Away with ESG
ESG’s 1983 EP is pure, unadulterated groove. Stripped down to its skeletal essentials – infectious basslines, raw, propulsive percussion, and understated vocals – it created a rhythmic template that reverberated through early hip-hop and house music. This isn't complex; it’s primal, direct, and utterly irresistible. A minimalist funk masterclass that proves the power of space and repetition. Still makes you move.
10. World Of Echo
Arthur Russell’s 1986 masterpiece is a singular, otherworldly experience. Merging cello, voice, and sparse electronics, he conjured a profoundly intimate and experimental soundscape. It’s minimalist yet deeply expressive, a blueprint for ambient and avant-garde electronic music that feels both ancient and futuristic. A haunting, beautiful record, "World of Echo" reveals its subtle complexities with each listen, a true visionary statement.
