Sonic Suggestions For The Soul Vol. 3

A Playlist :)

Some enthusiastic album recommendations from a longtime music lover and current university music student. Every album has a story! Check out my articles for volumes 1 and 2 if you enjoy this one, and give a listen to our updated Spotify playlist curated with all my favorite tracks from the albums.

The Royal Scam (1976) - Steely Dan

Steely Dan is a contentious band, for a reason I’m yet to truly understand, so admittedly I was a little hesitant to include this album on the list. But really all music is pretty contentious if you think about it, and if someone reads this article and ends up falling in love with this album like I have then it’s worth it. The Royal Scam is a super funky good time that is guaranteed to get your head bopping to the endless groove of this record. While it has super great flow, and this album flies under the radar in terms of Steely Dan’s commercial success, it’s a fan favorite among the band’s loyal fans. Being their fifth studio album, this record really showcases both the complex songwriting of co-founders Walter Breker and Donald Fagan and the incredible skill of the rotating session musicians who bring so much precision and magic to each track.

Favorite Tracks: The Caves of Altamira, Haitian Divorce, Kid Charlamagne

A Joyful Noise Unto The Creator (1992) - Galliano

Acid jazz is a genre that combines jazz, funk, soul, hiphop, and disco, which emerged out of the London clubs in the 1980’s. It soon spread to the states where it was popularized by familiar names such as A Tribe Called Quest, Jamiroquai, and Digable Planets. The London-based Galliano however, was the first band to be signed to the genre’s first designated record label, aptly named Acid Jazz Records. A Joyful Noise Unto The Creator, Galliano’s highly anticipated second studio album, embodies the raw, quirky rap, soul-infused chords, disco-esq strings, and heavy funk grooves that make the cutting-edge, high energy genre so distinguished. After a 26 year long hiatus, Galliano returned with a brand new record just last year, so if you enjoy A Joyful Noise Unto The Creator I highly recommend you give the new record a listen!

Favorite Tracks: Jus’ Reach, Prince of Peace, Skunk Funk

Encore (2007) - Arthur Verocai

Encore is both a love letter to bossa nova and a transcendent demonstration of Arthur Verocai’s signature sound which incorporates elements of jazz, funk, and classical into the lush melodies of traditional Brazilian music. Verocai released his first album in 1972 and it was practically ignored in Brazil, largely due to the fact that it simply didn’t sound like the kind of Brazilian music that was popular then. You could say that it was ahead of its time. Discouraged, Verocai gave up his recording career and began composing and arranging for other artists and commercials. It wasn’t until around 2000 that his record became a cult hit throughout the U.S. and Europe, riding the wave of hip hop sampling that began using jazz and orchestral samples to make beats. Encore is Verocai’s triumphant return to the recording industry, and with decades of arranging under his belt, his compositions fit with full string and horn sections just soar. This is the most wonderful and joyous album to listen to on your sunny days this summer.

Favorite Tracks: Tupa Tupi, Bis, Dona das Meninas

Surf’s Up (1971) - The Beach Boys

Whenever I tell people I love the Beach Boys, I get some confused looks. It seems the group has struggled to escape the 60’s-boy-group-surf-rock-cliche that they are so well known for. But with mastermind musician and songwriter Brian Wilson at the helm, the band released some really poignant and innovative records that rivaled the boundary pushing of another little known rock group; The Beatles. Surf’s Up tends to fly under the radar compared to the group’s earlier hits or the legendary Pet Sounds, but it is a masterpiece that showcases what this era of the Beach Boys was all about. With the passionate lyrical subject matter (environmental pollution, Vietnam war riots, the inevitability of death), which many believe was brought on by the band’s exploration of transcendental meditation, and the songwriting capabilities of Wilson and all the band members just brought so much heart to this dually melancholic and angelic record.

Favorite Tracks: Long Promised Road, ‘Til I Die, Surf’s Up

The Beacon Street Collection (1995) - No Doubt

Before Gwen Stefani was a massive pop star with an established solo career, she was lending her distinct vocal style (with that iconic, super fast, vibrato!) and songwriting skills to the Southern California ska-punk band No Doubt, which she founded with her brother when she was just a 17 year old girl living in Anaheim, CA. Third wave ska that hit the SoCal music scene around the 80’s and 90’s set the stage for young, ska-infused punk bands like No Doubt to emerge. The band’s first eponymous album was a commercial flop, and facing a lack of support from their record label, the band decided to release The Beacon Street Collection independently. To me, this album is No Doubt’s purest form; a true ska-punk endeavor with catchy horn lines and the quirkiness and rawness of an independent release. There are some really stellar tracks on this underrated album that will definitely be playing nonstop in my car this summer.

Favorite Tracks: Open The Gate, Total Hate ‘95, That’s Just Me