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A LIST OF GOOD ALBUMS: FIRST PART
Yes, music is indeed subjective, and here at Don't Pass Him The Aux, we try to make our lists as diverse as possible. What we don't want, though, is somebody to tell us that we are too mainstream (which we aren't) and if it is true, then I guess we're here to bring you back to the real world, and out of your bedroom. It's time for you to catch up. I mean really- you probably are the only one in your group that listens to a band you saw on an Instagram Ad.
Below are some of our favourite albums of all time (in order), including your favourites (we hope) and the worst albums you've ever heard because we don't care, as long as you read this, and we get to dance.
15. Zola, Ibutho
What we love about this album is the representation of the Urban Zulu (a term coined by the legendary Mam’ Busi Mhlongo), township love, pedophilia, and the cons of stardom. The intro takes us to a place where nothing is rainbows and sunflowers, but the people still live through it because that's all they can do. You get to hear this as the album progresses, as it’s just filled with stress, joy, love, and conflict. Check it out.
14. Daughter, The Wild Youth EP
Well, well, well, there you are, reading your favourite Wattpad book in the middle of the night and then the writer mentions a song, which you can’t pass up because it’s from the writer’s playlist. Now, Daughter came to me in the weirdest way as mentioned but I grew to love the band because of their soft approach to indie folk, and Elena's (now, Ex: Re) whisper-like vocals. The Wild Youth EP was preparation for their debut album, If You Leave, released in 2013, two years after the release of The Wild Youth. The Wild Youth EP explores stories of heartbreak in a way that seems fit for a Wattpad book so make sure you are ready to have one or two songs on replay.
13. Beatenberg, The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg
Cited as genre-defining, The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg collected three accolades at the South African Music Awards (the biggest night for music in South Africa), making it the most obscure win in history so much that no one debated, I mean- they had three commercial hits on the album that everyone could dance to (yes, they played Rafael and Beauty Like A Tightened Bow regularly in township hangouts, so I know what I am talking about). The album also happened to be the most South African thing I've heard with obvious inspiration from Paul Simon's Graceland, which was heavily influenced by the '80s township sound, and it also sounds like the most suburban thing on the radio (the beauty of music, isn't it?) because of its lyrics. Deserves to be in the top 5, maybe?
12. Hozier, Hozier (Special Edition)
Do you remember the song that everyone mistook for a gospel song and skipped every time it got played on MTV but later found out it was fire and had nothing to do with church? Yeah, the one about bedroom relations. Hozier's debut album started with the smash hit Take Me To Church, a song that combined religion and sex, and later homophobia, which was explored when the music video dropped. The combination of religion and everyday stuff (mostly passionate) became Hozier’s norm and to be honest, he's one the greatest songwriters of our time, and his Blues, Rock, and Folk sounds make you feel his emotions, way before his voice joins in. The special edition of the debut album features covers of some amazing songs, namely; Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys, Regulate by Warren G (I swear, I’m not making this up), and Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin, while it also features live versions of some original songs. This is one of my most-listened-to albums of all time, and I am pretty sure that you trust me.
11. Zoocci Coke Dope, Anxiety
Probably one of South Africa’s most underrated Hip-Hop albums from one of South Africa’s most underrated artists. Anxiety raises awareness of the mental condition it was named after, including recordings from experts in the field, and Zoocci trying to express himself on the things that come with the industry and how they affect his growth when they are combined with the way he is, so the whole album is just him saying "look, I'm not being weird, I just have a problem and I'm trying to live with it." The album explores themes of love, glory, betrayal, and insecurities (sounds like that vampire movie with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise), told by Zoocci Coke Dope, Nasty C, Priddy Ugly, Youngsta CPT, 25K, and Benny Chill. It's food for thought.
And that will be it for this week. Do visit us more frequently as we will be updating our list in the next two weeks. See you then.
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