Some business: not all of the albums I link will be available on your streaming service of choice. Sorry. I provide Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp links and playlists for stuff I can find on those 3 services. Some stuff will be only on Bandcamp, and some stuff might only be available in download form. Download-only albums/mixes will be marked with a ⬇️. I can’t promise that a download will work, or that an album will remain on a streaming service.

Playlists

• Apple Music

• Spotify

• Buymusic.club (Bandcamp Playlist)

1. Night Tapes - Losin’ My Touch (Bandcamp)

   I revisited this one recently and it holds up. Here’s my old bandcamp review: “Perfectly smooth songs that nail the throwback vibe without pretension, winking, or sarcasm. The music will infuse lazy Saturday vibes into any situation and appears to make everything just a little better.”

2. Goblin Mage - Sorrow & Sorcery (Bandcamp)

   Spooky lofi dungeon synth from Fantasy Audio Magazine, who exclusively release stuff that would sound perfect played on an old tape recorder in a basement during a late night D&D sesh.

3. Mike Adams At His Honest Weight - Guess for Thrills (Bandcamp)

   Lush and spacier dream pop that’s still grounded with Mike Adams’ lovelorn, heartfelt pop songwriting.

4. Lookfar - Beyond the Edge of the World (Bandcamp)

   Earthsea-themed dungeon synth from Louie Zong (he makes those singing ghost videos on youtube, among other things like working on We Bare Bears). A bit more fanciful than your typical dungeon synth release and I love it.

5. Chicano Batman - Notebook Fantasy (Bandcamp)

   Festival-ready rock, occasionally en Español but always full of slinky 70s vibes. 100% socal summer music.

6. Dustin Kensrue - Desert Dreaming (lnk.to)

   Dustin nails a specific 50s desert country vibe that I dig so much. Technically not out until Friday April 5 but add it now so you don’t miss it.

7. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans (Bandcamp)

   A throwback for sure, this album just turned 20 years old. Recorded in Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile)’s basement just as Michigan began to explode, it’s the severe limitations imposed on a maximalist songwriter that makes this album special.

8. Nicolas Snyder - Scavenger’s Reign soundtrack (Spotify)

   The soundtrack to the gorgeous and terrifying animated series on HBO Max is equal parts Philip Glass, Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisiashi, and Daft Punk in Tron Soundtrack mode. Watch the show and some of these songs are much spookier.

9. Super Collider - Head On (Spotify)

   I was listening to Jamie Lidell’s Multiply the other day (still mostly holds up) and ended up here, on his debut album with Cristian Vogel as Super Collider—it’s heavy late 90s rave jams that lean towards gospel house with Lidell’s funky vocals. Darn (Cold Way O’ Lovin) has a killer bass groove.

1. ⬇️ Aquarium Drunkard’s Pulp Jazz Mixtape (Download)

   Two full hours of extremely smooth lounge vibes. Maximum chill music best enjoyed with a beverage that has a swizzle stick in it.

2. ⬇️ Phaseone - Thanks But No Thanks (Download)

   Synth-heavy space beats from St. Louis in 2009. Perfect Get-Things-Done music.

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