5. The Postal Service – Give Up
The Postal Service and its first full-length release Give Up is a case of when a side project becomes far bigger than a normal side project. Comprised of Jimmy Tamborello of indie-electronica solo project Dntel and Ben Gibbard of indie sensation Death Cab For Cutie, the project was entirely produced and recorded by Gibbard and Tamborello sending CD-R’s to each other. This patient 10 month process through the Postal Service is where the group took its name. The result is an uptempo serene blip popfest, showcasing laid back numbers such as “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight,” “Recycled Air” and “Clark Gable.”
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4. Prefuse 73 – One Word Extinguisher
Scott Herren has cooked up the underground hip hop aficionado’s dream with One Word Extinguisher, his second album as Prefuse 73. One Word Extinguisher is less a straight-up hip hop album and more the production side of great hip hop. Only a handful of songs on the album have vocals or rapping, most notably being Diverse on “Plastic” and Def Jux’s Mr. Lif on “Huevos with Jeff and Rani.” Herren takes breakbeats in the new era of hip hop to another level with the calculated frenzy and beauty of “The End of Biters – International” and “Choking You.” However, Herren includes upbeat mix-a-thons such as “Uprock and Invigorate” where the warm bass line and lush synth melodies are as varied and experimental as the drum pattern. Prefuse 73 is sure to be a high earmark for hip hop production for many producers to come.
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