Albums To Ride Out the Quarantine To
As many of us remain isolated in our homes, resigned to living lives devoid of social interaction not involving our roommates or family members, it can feel difficult not to go a little bit stir-crazy. Whether you live totally alone, or if you came back home to help your parents only to be asked to sanitize every room of the house on a tri-weekly basis (yours truly), many of us have had to get creative when coping to this change of lifestyle. Luckily, some members of the Stereovision team decided to provide their favorite records for riding out the all the sheltering, social distancing, and quarantines that have quickly dominated our daily agendas. From recent releases to modern classics, we hope you give these records a listen.
Toro Y Moi - Anything In Return (2013)
“Speaking from my own perspective - I am so fucking anxious all the time, so naturally you can expect that the past month has not been the greatest time for me. In dire need of an outlet where I can allow myself the opportunity to *relax*, I find myself listening to this album almost constantly. Straight from the brain of one of the people who popularized the term ‘chillwave’, Toro Y Moi’s 2013 opus is packed with easily digestible indie-electronic tracks that can range from relaxing to plain fun.” -Carter Fife
Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony (2020)
“After patiently waiting many years, Jay Electronica fans rejoice now that his new album A Written Testimony has dropped. The timing of the release couldn’t have been better, considering his wisdom can provide us with a sense of clarity in this uncertain time. The best part is we all have more time now, allowing us to give he album the in-depth listen it deserves.” -Colson O’Connor
G Herbo - PTSD (2020)
“Most G Herbo projects are definitely an acquired taste for many listeners from outside his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. PTSD is slightly different. G Herbo's reflections in songs such as "Feelings" and "Intuition" are a clear indication that the rapper is transforming into a better artist and person. The most popular song named after the album features Chance the Rapper, Juice WRLD, and Lil Uzi Vert. Sitting at just around a month old, it is time to give PTSD a listen if you have not already. Check out a more in-depth review of the album here!” -Amaya Lorick
Mac Miller - Circles (2020)
Being stuck around the house all the time can put you through a lot of different moods. Mac Miller’s ingenious album Circles, consists of songs for every one of those moods. His slow-tempo, rainy day jams are perfect for staying sane at home during this crazy time.” -Colson O’Connor
Sevdaliza - Ison (2017)
“Dutch-Iranian songwriter & producer Sevdaliza delivers a dark, atmospheric, and lush blend of alternative R&B and trip-hop with her debut album Ison. Across the project’s exploration of love and what it means to be a woman in our modern world, she creates a landscape of stuttering drum loops, sinister chord progressions, and haunting vocal refrains that ultimately transcend into pure, unadulterated beauty. It’s one of my personal favorites of all time, and I would highly recommend listening to the tracklist in order, but if I had to pick and choose a few standout tracks, then “Hubris,” “Amandine Insensible,” “Hero,” and “Loves Way” would be a good place to start.” -Owen Tait
REASON - There You Have It (2018)
“Top Dawg Entertainment signee, REASON, is still early in his career but has already made a name for himself in his debut album There You Have It. The project opens with a skit, titled "Rufus Collection", and is followed by 11 vividly reflective songs. Before signing with TDE in August 2018, There You Have It was independently released in 2017. The remastered project's most popular song Better Dayz was well received by Ice Cube in a special segment posted by Genius. This album was a great introduction to where REASON came from and could possibly be key to understanding who he is as an artist.” -Amaya Lorick
Jai Paul - Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) (2019)
“Originally leaked six years earlier by an anonymous user on Bandcamp, UK producer, singer, and songwriter Jai Paul officially released Leaked 04-13 (Bait Ones) to streaming services in 2019. The project is a collection of 16 demos Paul wrote prior to the album’s leak, but the quality of the music here wouldn’t indicate their unfinished nature in the slightest. Featuring slick vocal hooks and tons of wonky production tricks throughout, Bait Ones is a tight, feel-good alternative pop record that will be sure to keep your vibes up during social isolation. Check out tracks such as “Str8 Outta Mumbai” and “jasmine - demo” for a good taste of what this album has to offer.” -Owen Tait
Isaiah Rashad - The Sun’s Tirade (2016)
Isaiah Rashad has no problem having his fans wait for new music. This album from 2016 is what really put him on the map as the next one up out of TDE. The Sun’s Tirade is a showcase of emotional and self reflective raps, and the sounds on this range from jazzy instrumentation to more traditional trap. -Miles Hagan
Rich Gang - Tha Tour Pt. 1 (2014)
“Prior to the beef and bullshit, one duo reigned supreme, prolifically dropping music and poised to take over the rap game. In 2014, Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan might as well have been Andre 3000 and Big Boi the way they took the direction the sound was heading and forced it to turn on a dime, changing the course of hip-hop history in the process. The duo resembled Outkast in more ways than the influence though. Rich Homie Quan acted as the Big Boi to Thugger’s three stacks by anchoring the young superstar and providing constancy, allowing him to develop into one of the all-time great he was born to be. In addition, there are few tapes that show such palpable influence to today’s specific pop rap sound, just listen to “I Know It” once and tell me you don’t hear DaBaby, Gunna, and Lil Baby. Tha Tour 1 is one of the most important mixtapes of this generation and is absolutely as slimy as it gets.” - Spencer Lobdell
The Internet - Ego Death (2015)
“Lead by Odd Future vocalist Syd and assisted by artists such as Steve Lacy and Kaytranada, The Internet’s Ego Death is a fresh, charismatic fusion of R&B and neo-soul that will ease the pressure of being cooped up at home. Boasting plenty of groovy bass lines and jazz-inspired percussion, this project is simply hypnotic, a quality that is certainly aided by Syd’s infectious refrains and melodies. The standout tracks on this record include—but are not limited to—“Go With It,” “Under Control,” and ‘Special Affair.’ ” -Owen Tait
Grimes - Art Angels (2015)
“You might be thinking: What if being too relaxed is my biggest problem right now, and what if I am struggling to feel something underneath the weight of perpetual isolation’s monotony? Look no further - Art Angels is so off-the-walls and high-octane that one listen will have you sprinting around your home screaming “B-E-H-A-V-E, arrest us!” into your hairbrush. At just under 50 minutes long, it will provide you with the perfect daily workout, forgetting you are confined to your home in the first place” -Carter Fife
Action Bronson - Mr. Wonderful (2015)
In a time where our scenery may get a bit repetitive music is a way for us to still paint vivid pictures. Few are better at this than Action, who delivers slick verses over incredible and unique production. There are several standout singles from this project that still impress me till this day. -Miles Hagan
EARTHGANG - Torba (2015)
“Throw it back to 2015 in quarantine and listen to EARTHGANG’s EP “Torba”. Every track is named after each day of the week, and each cut perfectly depicts the vibe of each day. The beats on this album have such a unique bounce, and EARTHGANG comes in with a crazy flow that do the beats justice. There also happen to be smooth features from artists Mac Miller and JID that add to the greatness of this EP.” -Colson O’Connor
NxWorries - Yes Lawd! (2016)
“In 2016, NxWorries (Duo made up of singer/rapper Anderson .Paak & producer Knxledge) released their only project ever titled Yes Lawd! While Anderson .Paak music is always excellent, Knxledge’s production brought greatness out of the artist and led to him creating his best music ever. The album is one of the more cohesive hip-hop projects I’ve ever heard showcasing a similar chill vibe and cool energy that never gets old on most tracks. I don’t know if it’s Paak’s cutting vocal inflections, ultra-dynamic singing voice, or the introspective ways he writes about love, but something about his performance on this record is very special to me, solidifying Yes Lawd! as a personal top five record of all time.” - Spencer
KAYTRANADA - 99.9% (2016)
Production allows the imagination to wander. 99.9% is one of the best albums we have received from a producer in a while. Not only does he offer stellar beats from start to finish, but the list of guest features is to notch. Its upbeat tone and wild creativity draw you in from the moment you press play, and make it hard to press pause for the next hour. -Miles Hagan
Dom Kennedy - Los Angeles Is Not for Sale, Vol. 1 (2016)
“While LA native Dom Kennedy has made some great music over the course of his career, nothing comes close to his magnum opus, Los Angeles Is Not for Sale, Vol. 1. Nobody does relaxed west coast gangsta rap like Kennedy and he is in full force throughout this entire project. On this record, Dom combines a sharp pen with a laid back SoCal delivery resulting in an hour of addicting bops to hotbox your mom’s car to.” -Spencer Lobdell
Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment - Surf (2015)
“Back in 2015, Chance the Rapper, Nico Segal (formerly known as Donnie Trumpet, and their band partnered with Apple Music to release Surf for free! It's leading single "Sunday Candy" will get you in the mood to do something productive and spread love from afar. The 16-song project has features including Big Sean, J. Cole, and Quavo but these artists were purposely left unlisted. If you have not already listened to Surf, I challenge you to allow yourself to be surprised by all of its guest appearances.” -Amaya Lorick
Baby Keem - DIE FOR MY BITCH (2019)
“I really do not have too much to say about this one. Is it too late to call it a deep-cut at this point? It doesn’t matter. Fans of outrageous rap and stellar production link up and join the Baby Keem fandom before the hype-train leaves the station. Keem’s irresistibly catchy hooks on tracks like ‘BULLIES’ and ‘TOP RAMEN’ will make you an instant fan, and the possibility of an upcoming collaboration with Kendrick might give you something to look forward to this year. Whether or not you’re already a fan, it is never too early - or too late - to enjoy this record.” -Carter Fife
We hope these records help lift your spirits in such an uncertain time. Stay safe out there, and be sure to let us know what you’ve been listening to over the past few weeks.
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