this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2025
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While re-listening to Bitches Brew tonight it occurred to me, there's never been anything that sounds quite like it since, and there never will be again.

What are your favorite unicorn albums?

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[–] drev@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 days ago

Want to save this thread for later, may as well name a couple as well

The Faceless - Planetary Duality. Technical death metal album that found an outstanding balance between technically-impressive musicianship, interesting compositional intricacacies, and raw primal brutality. Nothing scratches that itch like this album does for me. And if you're into drums, Alex Rudinger's drumming in Xenochrist is wholly and entirely inhuman. The dude is an octopus trapped in a man's body. I'd recommend watching his Xenochrist drum playthrough video if you're particularly interested

Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians. These two guys are absolute wizards of music production, and this album showcases their insane ability to bring out such colorful personalities from their meticulously crafted synth leads, through gradual and dramatic evolution... Which they usually do in a familiar psy-trance setting. But the "chill side" half of this album accomplishes this wonderfully in a unique, much more relaxed, low-tempo style that I'm genuinely struggling to find words to describe

[–] blackbrook@mander.xyz 5 points 2 days ago

I'm gonna resist quibbling about what "completely unique" ought to mean, but in the spirit of how people are answering, I'll submit Daliborovo Granje, Hainin. https://daliborovogranje.bandcamp.com/album/hainin

Croatian psychedelic instrumental rock.

[–] Today@lemmy.world 12 points 3 days ago

The two i listened to most when i was young were Sgt Pepper and Dark Side of the Moon. Happy for the vinyl revival so my kids can experience the two sides of an album.

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 11 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The Postal Service

There are many synth artists that try to target a similar feel, but the way they tug on your emotions with just the subtlest of sounds. Everything feels like it’s meant to fit. Never has a song made me feel more homesick than Recycled Air. And I don’t even want to go back home.

Honorable mention goes to Moon Safari by Air. First time I heard every song on that album felt like I’d heard it before in a memory.

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[–] n0respect@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come ... blending melodic, hardcore, jazz, and electronic into one punk album

Salmon - Paco Drop the Chicken ... Very eclectic rap / punk, beat-oriented with lots of changes. A personal favorite "local" band.

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago

I wanted to add some of my faves!

[–] papertowels@mander.xyz 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The shaggs.

A fortune teller told a father his kids were destined for stardom. Empowered by this, he forced the teen/adult kids to form a band. The result breaks all the rules of music. ALL of them. Ones that you don't even know existed. Frank Zappa considers them better than the beatles

If Zappa says they're good... Saving this comment to check 'em out later.

[–] AoxoMoxoA@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Cocteau Twins: Heaven Or Las Vegas

[–] androogee@midwest.social 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)
[–] classic@fedia.io 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Ween - Chocolate and Cheese

Also Nightmares on Wax - Smoker's Delight, for absolutely capturing a certain mood

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Could literally say any Ween album lol

[–] classic@fedia.io 3 points 3 days ago
[–] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Ha, I came here to say Bitches Brew before seeing it was in the OP!

I'd add Loveless by My Bloody Valentine: much-imitated, but there's nothing quite like it.

Also, my early '90s bias is showing here, but In Utero by Nirvana is uniquely brilliant. No one's melded beauty and ugliness so successfully in any medium.

[–] nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

hahaha no way, came across this comment as When You Sleep is playing.

agreed, oft imitated but never matched

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So happy they finally made m b v though. It was an amazing coda to their masterpiece which gave some much appreciated closure and cemented loveless's place as the gem of their collection.

I saw an interview with them about how once they figured out how to play that way, time started to pass differently, and it was a healing experience for them.

[–] nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

what's the story with m b v? I just looked and saw that it's the only full album on spotify, loveless (and others?) is missing

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 days ago

Idk about spotify, but m v b has some poppy tunes, some experimental tunes, and def goes on a little journey. Kevin Shields talked about how part of it was music he had shelved after loveless and dusted off and got out the door. There are two or three tracks that stand out to me, but it is definitely worth a listen!

[–] lemmie689@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 3 days ago (2 children)

2112 by Rush

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly

I'm the only person I know that's heard side 2

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[–] WhatThaFudge@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] TheMinister@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 days ago

I mean, I like kgatlw, but they’re not that unique

[–] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 days ago (2 children)

A Grand Don’t Come For Free by The Streets. I love this album start to finish and it’s got a great story right through it.

First time I heard it I’d gotten an email from Vice promoting it and I clicked the link thinking it would just be the first 20 seconds of each song but it was the whole album! Was just starting a movie but I never watched it, just listened to the album straight through. So good.

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[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

I'm loving these comments, so many great albums! And a ton I've never hear of and will need to check out.

I have a few of these, but two that really jump out at me are

  • The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust - Saul Williams
  • Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By - Lovage
  • Common People - William Shatner

These are albums that you've just gotta let play.

e: can't believe I forgot Shatner!

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[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

One classic one I forgot

Art of noise - The seduction of claude debussy

Phenomenal blend of styles to create something truly unique.

[–] Droechai@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] toothpaste_sandwich@thebrainbin.org 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've been trying to find something similar to Holly Herndon's Proto, but haven't succeeded yet.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWGJxgOf-Z3CW7tJoN9f4lzIf8CEuMgne

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[–] Xaphanos@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

How is it possible that I'm the first to mention Days of Future Past?

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[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Radiohead—Amnesiac (especially the B-sides) Mr. Bungle—California ミラクルミュージカル—Hawaii: Part II (strongly related to Tally Hall, which is famous for their hit debut Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum) Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE (my preferred recording of this legendary unfinished album for its complete orchestration, but I very much get the argument that it just doesn’t sound right without the Beach Boys’ voices, so I also recommend giving the Dae Lime mix a try for its combination of original and deepfaked vocals)

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[–] SadSadSatellite@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Ugly Casanova. Someone left modest mouse on the burner for too long and made a powdered concentrate.

Literally every album by The Mars Volta. Each one is unique and I'll never find anything like them again.

Yanni-live at the Acropolis. There's was a brief moment in 1994 when yanni actually achieved world peace. Also Tribute, another live album, that shows how unbelievably massive yanni was. He sold out a show at the fucking Taj Majal.

Anna ash and the family tree- hello friend, from bird above. An indie folk album that's a perfect cross between a prairie home companion and the hipster folk Renaissance of the early 2000s.

Pity sex-dark world. One of the best albums out there. Emo shoegaze garagy jams with killer guitar work.

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[–] tasankovasara@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

Let's put in Joker's Daughter - The Last Laugh. The track Lucid particulary is exemplary of what puts the corn on this uni. A Danger Mouse joint.

[–] Bwaz@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Weird Tales by Golden Smog. Kind of like country on acid but not like the Grateful Dead. Very creative.

Between the Buttons by The Rollong Stones. Unlike other Stones albums - Jagger and Richards don't even seem to like it anymore. But it has a sound of its own, and might be Brian Jones' last significant effort with the Stones.

And of course T.Rex

[–] salvaria@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I really like Pretty. Odd. by Panic! At the Disco - it sort of reminds me of the later Beatles albums but is still unique.

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[–] kubok@fedia.io 5 points 3 days ago

KLF - the White Room . It is a quite unique combination of a early 90s dance album (with a few bangers that still sound good) and road movie soundtrack.

Also, excellent tread!

[–] M137@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

This thread showed up like it was meant for me in this very moment as I'm currently laying in my sofa and blasting this on high volume and drowning in the vibe:

Afro Celt Sound System - Volume 2: Release (Real World Gold)

Haven't heard anything truly like it so I think it fits the thread.

This album has been with me since my childhood.
My mom used to house sit this crazy special house during the summers around 1998-2005 that belongs to a clay sculpture artist, my mom discovered this band there and loved this album especially.
It was mostly my mom, me (born 1990) and my little sister (born 1992) in the middle of the woods all summer break in this absolutely dream like house, it's something out of a movie really.
A lot of the house was built by the artist dude, with tons of handmade clay sculptures, mosaics, wooden details of animals and twisted tree logs built into the structure. The sides of the road through the woods to the house was filled with totem poles, human-ish figures and other sculptures.
We just enjoyed the woods and the house, made clay art and nice food, went bathing in the river and took care of the garden.
There are so many deeply connected smells, sounds, sights and feelings in me to that house, it really affected me in a great way.
I so wish I could post photos of it but I have no contact with the owner and don't want to do it without his permission.

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[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

The North Borders - Bonobo

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