2024.06.26 - This trio comes from Melbourne, Australia and has quickly built a strong following with the release of their debut EP Mahal, titled after the lead single on the album. Despite some comparisons to Khruangbin and a very basic ensemble of drums, bass, and guitar, they are able to carve their own unique style by calling upon their Indian roots to drive the psycahedelic and melodic rhythms of their music. The beaded masks they wear only contribute to their unique identity among a crowded music industry.

While they currently have a very small catalogue of music, this is a group we are excited to listen to and watch grow into the future. 

2024.01.24 - Rajiv Surendra is a former actor (best-known as the rapping mathlete in Mean Girls) who may have stopped performing, but more recently he's been a calligrapher, had a stint on the HGTV Handmade channel, and now has started his own Youtube channel back in December, 2022. 

He's been described in the Youtube comments under his videos as, "Mr. Rogers For Adults" or "A True Renaissance Man." And I agree with those labels. But I think it is the combination of his mindful approach to each project, his attention to detail and aesthetics, and his general charismatic enthusiasm for all things hand-made that is what truly sets him apart from others on the platform. 

He largely makes "tutorial" videos, but they often end up feeling less like tutorials and more like life lessons or glimpses into the lifestyle that we all feel we should be striving towards. His videos are never really just a simple step-by-step, but feel more like a conversation you might have with a friend who is giving you direction on something they're really passionate about, and he always adds little anecdotes or tips about how solutions to problems he's encountered along the way. 

The first video of his I saw was a video about "Using Your Nice Things" which advocated using and maintaining your nicer things so you build a connection with those things, and maximize your investment in nicer objects. A few videos before that were cooking videos on roti and chicken curry, but between those cooking videos was one titled, "How To Spend Quality Time With Your Loved Ones" where Rajiv sits on his bed and describes how he really loves the act of reading to your loved ones, and he finishes the video by reading aloud to the viewers. It's a little moment of peace among the chaos and noise of the internet.

In other videos he is talking about how he walks around in public, how he shops for antiques, packing for a trip, handwriting, caning a chair, and many other topics that couldn't begin to be predicted until he publishes his next video. One of my favorite videos of Rajiv's is one where he organizes a drawer in his table that turns into a conversation about how cluttered our own minds are, and how the process of cleaning can be related to meditation and mindfulness. 

At the time of this writing, Rajiv's Youtube channel has a bit over 200k subscribers after only a year of making videos, but I'm sure his channel will continue to grow, and as long as he continues making his fantastic videos in his style, I will continue to watch them religiously. 

2022.12.21 - For the first "seasonal" recommendation of this list, let's go way back to one of the best Christmas specials of all time. The cast of classic Charlie Brown characters and their antics is combined with one of the (arguably) greatest soundtracks of all time to create this 1965 Christmas classic.

The movie is all about eschewing the glitz and glamour of the "commercial" holiday season in favor of spending and enjoying time with your friends and family, which is a message we can all get behind. It's a short film, effectively an extended episode at just under 26 minutes in length, but it is lovingly animated and filled with beautiful jazz music that will fill you with nostalgia for the days of your youth when life was simpler.

Whether you sit down and watch it all the way through or just put it on in the background to enjoy the ambiance it provides, this is one of those films that's a part of every Christmas for us.

Happy Holidays! 

2022.05.05 - While this band was a household name in Canada from the late 1990s through the 2010s, they are one of the most underrated bands out of Canada in the last 30 years. 

Actually, we would argue that they are the most underrated band of the last 30 years.

Sloan formed in 1991 with their first compilation Hear & Now, along with their 1992 debut EP, Peppermint. But it was their first full-length album Smeared and the follow up Twice Removed in 1994 that launched their wider success. Smeared led with a power-pop/grunge single Underwhelmed (which reached 25 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in the US) and was more of a gunge-influenced rock album, while Twice Removed was more refined into a rock/pop sound that the band continued to evolve through the rest of their career. But their second release Twice Removed was a much more "complete" album, with clear influences from British rock like the Beatles being brought to a more modern style of music. 

While they became massively popular in Canada in the mid 90s off of the success of Twice Removed, Sloan struggled to find success south of the border due to their music label at the time, Geffen Records, who disagreed with the band's musical direction on their second studio album in 1994, who then pulled promotion for the album as a result. [Source] And so, in spite of their excellent songwriting, vocal harmonies, and pop-rock riffs that preceded the sound of bands that came later like Jet, The Fratellis, and other pop/indie-rock acts, the band struggled to make any headway into the US market. 

After the issues with Geffen and the lack of US sales, the band briefly broke up but after being released from Geffen, they in turn released the album One Chord To Another in 1996 on their own label, Murderecords, which sold very well in Canada and won them a Juno for best Alternative Album the following year. What followed was a string of quality albums with Navy Blues in 1998, Between the Bridges in 1999, Pretty Together in 2001, and a live album in between releases/touring. In 2003, they attempted again to break into the US market with the album Action Pact, but again were unsuccessful, while the record still sold well north of the border. 

With 12 studio albums under their belt and dozens of singles/hits, Sloan continues to make music to this day, with their most recent release in 2020, and their 13th album expected later in 2022. 

This track, Money City Maniacs from the album Navy Blues, showcases their signature vocal harmonies over catchy riffs, a high-energy rhythm, and excellent songwriting structures that defined their sound for years despite their evolution and exploration of styles and genres. Other tracks to check out from them are the guitar-riff heavy If It Feels Good, Do It, the almost folk-rock sounding Everything You've Done Wrong (live version), or the pop/rock-ballad Coax Me (stated to be about disagreements with a record label, but also rumored to be about Kurt Cobain's death from earlier the year this track was released). 

All in all, when you start listening to Sloan's extensive discography you'll see why they've had such longevity in Canada, and you'll also really start to wonder why you never heard of them sooner. Hence them being the most underrated band of the last 30 years.

2022.03.31 - The word "underrated" may be an over-used term, so we'll just say that My Analog Journal is just a channel that should see far more attention than it gets. Far, far more attention.  

Originally more of a personal music blog consisting of 30-60 minute mixes of obscure, eclectic genres from vinyl albums, MAG has evolved into a community of guest  creators sharing music from around the world in a variety of formats that move from more recent mixes of Japanese Jazz, to Masters of the Oud, to some just classic Salsa and Latin Jazz, and many more. There is truly something for everyone in their videos, and you might also discover some new favorites along the way.

The channel posts regular videos but also has a Patreon that features some exclusive videos, discussions about vinyl, and a positive community for music discovery in general. But even just the Youtube is an amazing hidden gem that is so easy to get lost in.

2021.08.24 - Brandon Sanderson is one of the more prolific authors in modern times, both in his output and his frankly unheard of level of communication and interaction with his fans. There's no other author that we can think of that gives regular weekly video updates on the status of his latest novels and activities, while also maintaining a set of progress bars on his website indicating the current completion level of the stories currently being worked on. He also just released the full audiobook of one of his earlier novels, The Way of Kings Prime, which is an alternate version of the first book in his The Stormlight Archive series (another incredible fantasy series). 

Sanderson came to fame for most people when he was selected by the Robert Jordan's widow to finish the Wheel of Time series which were left incomplete after Jordan's untimely passing. The novel that convinced her to trust Sanderson with the biggest fantasy series of the last few decades was his first Mistborn novel, The Last Empire, and that's where we would recommend starting with Sanderson's work as well. 

The Last Empire revolves around then story of Vin and Kelsier along with their cast of friends and conspirators as they work in resistance to the tyrannical Lord Emperor, who founded The Last Empire a thousand years ago that he has ruled since with an iron fist. In this world, there are people who can use a system of magic called "Allomancy" that uses metal alloys to manipulate people and objects in the world in unique ways. Users of allomancy are rare, and people who have the ability can usually only use one metal, but there are very few who can use all of the metals that are known as Mistborn. The ability to use allomancy is genetic, though, and can only be used by those of noble bloodline. This places the nobles of the world at the top caste, with them ruling over the Skaa populace beneath them and using them as little more than slave labour. So when Kelsier - one of the first non-noble Mistborns ever - returns from what was certain doom, he becomes a legend among the Skaa and wants to use his power to help the people of the world. He then discovers another Skaa girl, Vin, who also has allomantic abilities and he recognizes they have a rare opportunity to make a change within the world...

The Mistborn series is an epic fantasy novel that builds a world that will seem both familiar and unique to fans of the genre, and enjoyable to anyone. But the real appreciation for the series starts to build after you've finished the Mistborn Trilogy and move on to the Wax and Wayne series in the same world hundreds of years after the first trilogy, or the other books within the Cosmere universe that Mistborn takes place in. Sanderson's take on a "cinematic universe" of novels includes Elantris, Mistborn, Warbreaker, White Sand, and The Stormlight Archive novels within the same universe, and so many concepts, storylines, and characters cross over between them. 

And while we would recommend starting with Mistborn as an introduction to The Cosmere, it's really Sanderon's Stormlight Archive that has been his Magnum Opus so far, with a broad-reaching and massively epic story that should be mandatory reading for any fans of fantasy. But regardless of where you start, you can't really go wrong with Sanderson's work. 

21.07.02 - Bay Area native Still Woozy puts together a funky, catchy, bedroom-pop classic in Goodie Bag that has been in our most played on Spotify for the last 3 years since it came out. And while this is a favorite track of his, the common refrain among Still Woozy fans is that "Sven never misses." And it's for good reason; while there are only 16 tracks he's put out to date, each of them has been catchy, fun, thoughtful, and each song worthy of being singles in their own right. The most recent release of his is That's Life - a lead single from his upcoming first album - and it's a catchy little love song that's already become an earworm, with funky guitar riffs, synth lead, and the characteristic melodic bassline sound that ties his work together musically, while still remaining distinct between each track. 

With his first album scheduled to release on 8/13/2021, there's no better time to hop on the Still Woozy train and vibe to some funky, catchy pop tunes. 

21.05.17 - Wyatt Mills has a really fascinating style of painting that has evolved even over the last few years, but with a continued theme of motion and colour in his work that is simply engaging. It is very difficult to describe exactly what makes his work so incredible, but one such element is his ability to combine bold colours and abstract brushstrokes over sometimes-soft, skillfully-painted human forms creates very emotive and fascinating pieces. Even in his still life painting, like some of his flowerpot series in 2020, there's a sense of movement and life that goes beyond the subject matter alone. There's also a familiarity to his work that at times recalls old masters like Picasso in his use of shapes and broken forms, but at the same time feels modern and fresh. He's certainly an artist to watch. You can find more of his art through his website, wyattmills.com, or on instagram @wyatt.mills

21.03.29 - Widely considered to be the best manga of all time, this manga series by Eiichiro Oda has been continuously published since 1997 and released its 1000th chapter at the start of 2021. One Piece follows a teenager named Monkey D. Luffy who wants to become the King of Pirates alongside his crew of "Nakama" (friends/comrades) by discovering "One Piece", the legendary treasure left by the former King of Pirates, Gol D. Roger.

Building largely on themes of friendship and adventure, this manga exists in a world of Devil Fruits which grant special abilities to anyone who eats one, but takes away their ability to swim. At the same time, the world on which One Piece takes place consists of massive seas with islands spread around it, such that sailing and pirates are commonplace. The result of this is one of the most ridiculously creative cast of characters, and a storyline that just seems to keep going.

One criticism of the series is that the power creep is rather inconsistent, and Luffy and his crew always come out on top with minimal issues, but there are very few other stories that have been able to maintain an engaging storyline for as long as OP has despite any detractions, and so it is difficult to argue with the GOAT title for the series. 

21.03.23 - Radio listeners from Ontario (Canada) will likely recognize Alan Cross' podcast as his radio show of the same name. This would be an accurate observation, as the podcast is essentially a new way for him to distribute the show, and it's arguably the better way to listen to it with the pause and rewind controls that radio doesn't have. 

Alan's natural radio-friendly voice is pleasant to listen to as he winds through fascinating stories on current and past musical personalities, trends, events, or curiosities along the way. And the podcast spans both music history and the surrounding industries, which is sure to ramp up your trivia game after you've been listening for a few weeks. From the rise and fall (and rise again) of vinyl as a music format, to interviews with artists from all different genres, this is a must-listen podcast for  any music lover.

Check it out at his website: https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/

21.02.28 - MF DOOM aka DOOM aka Viktor Vaughn aka Madvillain (w/ Madlib) is/was a legendary underground rapper who passed away at the end of 2020. Sometimes referred to as "your favourite rapper's favourite rapper", MF DOOM was a self-proclaimed Supervillain known for extremely dense and creative rhyme flows, humorous bars and punchlines, and his signature metal facemask that he always wore. 

The album Madvillainy is the combination of MF DOOM's desnse vocals with Madlib's unique production, and the result is something truly special. The album is widely considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time and is found on Rolling Stone and NME top-500 lists. 

Other MF DOOM albums have received high critical acclaim as well, including his debut, Operation: Doomsday, Vaudeville Villain (recorded under the alias Viktor Vaughn), his 2nd album as MF DOOM - Mm...Food, and his last solo studio album Born Like This. He also has performed with other artists under even more alternate identities, which along with his notoriously private personal life cemented a sort of mystique and legend around the rapper.

As a result of his private life being so protected, MF DOOM's passing came as a surprise to fans and the industry, and was only announced months after his death actually happened. Despite that, his music lives on and is absolutely worth checking out for any fans of hip hop.

21.02.18 - As we are right between his birthday (Feb 7) and date of death (Feb 26), it's fitting that the first recommendation here belong to the incomparable Nujabes. 

The Japanese hip hop producer simply inverted his name, Seba Jun, to create his artist name, and he was arguably the most important pioneer of the genre of Chillhop music today. His jazz-heavy hip hop tracks brought a much smoother, more chill vibe that was ahead of his time, but which still brought him global recognition as an underground producer even during his lifetime.

His first album Metaphorical Music came out in 2003, bringing a collection of music that stood out even among a crowded underground scene. Shortly after this, he collaborated on the soundtrack for the anime series Samurai Champloo, which would garner universal praise for its story and music, and is considered to be one of the greatest anime series of all time. After this, he released the album Modal Soul, which would sadly be his last studio album release before his untimely demise in 2010. His final studio album, aptly titled Spiritual State, was released posthumously in 2011.

Despite his brief discography, Nujabes' influence on hip hop and modern music in general is undeniable, and his legacy has carried on with fans around the world discovering him through Chillhop recommendations, or anime fans finding his Samurai Champloo soundtracks. 

The song Feather is the intro track to Modal Soul, but is also one of the best intro tracks to Nujabes overall. With an airy piano jazz sample that rises and falls throughout the track, the song is a guaranteed mood booster. Cise Starr and Akin from CYNE provide vocals for the track. 

For any fans of hip-hop or jazz, Nujabes is required listening.