1. Here Are the Sonics
Alright, The Sonics' 1965 debut. This is raw, primal, stripped-down rock 'n' roll that pre-dates punk by a decade. It's the sound of kids in a garage, no polish, just pure, unadulterated energy. The fuzz, the scream, the barely-in-tune guitars – it’s all there, a glorious mess. This wasn't some calculated studio concoction; it was pure teenage fury bottled and unleashed, a blueprint for every snot-nosed band that followed, proving you didn't need virtuosity, just guts and a loud amplifier.
2. Today!
People often forget The Beach Boys' *Today!* from 1965 in the shadow of *Pet Sounds*, but this was a real left turn. Side A had the surf-pop punch, sure, but Side B, man, that's where Brian Wilson started pulling at the threads. He was laying down those melancholic harmonies and orchestral ambitions that would redefine what rock could be. It was a blueprint, a whisper of things to come, before the full-blown symphonies took over, a moment of profound, quiet experimentation.
3. Suicide Squad: The Album
Alright, so this 2016 *Suicide Squad* album, it's a curious beast. Not exactly raw street noise from a basement club, is it? More like a polished studio product, designed to sell tickets. But you hear flickers, echoes of that old industrial clang and the raw energy of early punk in some of the choices. It's a modern pastiche, sure, but it tries to harness a certain rebellious spirit, even if it's been scrubbed clean for the masses. A Hollywood Frankenstein, stitched together from a rebellious DNA.
4. Musik von Harmonia
Harmonia, man. This is the sound of Germany rebuilding itself in 1974, not with concrete, but with circuits and motorik beats. *Musik von Harmonia* is a masterclass in elegant repetition and subtle shifts. It’s not about flashy solos; it’s about the hypnotic groove, the slow, organic unfolding of soundscapes. A quiet revolution in minimalism, laying groundwork for ambient and electronic forms decades down the line. Pure, unadulterated Krautrock genius, a deeply influential and understated rumble.
5. 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Remastered)
Forget the title, that was a sick joke from the masters of provocation. Throbbing Gristle's 1979 *20 Jazz Funk Greats* is a brutal, unyielding assault, a true cornerstone of industrial music. It's not about funk; it's about noise as art, about machinery, about the cold, hard reality of urban decay. The remastered version just clarifies the unsettling textures, the mechanical rhythms, and the sheer, confrontational bleakness that tore apart any notions of polite music. It's a challenging listen, by design.
6. Restless
Poly Styrene, man, what a force. X-Ray Spex's 1978 single "Restless," it wasn't just another punk single; it was a screech from the heart of disillusionment, yet laced with an undeniable, vibrant energy. That saxophone, jagged and insistent, cutting through the raw guitar riffs, it was pure defiance. It captured the anxious spirit of the late seventies, a generation that knew the old world was crumbling and was itching to tear down whatever was left. Essential, urgent, and still crackles.
