44 Lo fi music albums

05 Fuck Em is a mixtape by American rapper Lil B. It was independently released on December 24, 2013, through Lil B's own record label, BasedWorld Records. Intended to be spread across six discs, the mixtape is the longest mixtape release by Lil B which is not a compilation - longer compilation mixtapes include the 676-track Free Music: The Complete MySpace Collection (2011) and 855 Song Based Freestyle Mixtape (2012). The mixtape verges on nearly six hours with 101 tracks.

Arcadia is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, under the name Ramona Lisa. It was released on April 15, 2014 through Terrible Records in North America, Bella Union imprint Pannonica in Europe and Japan, and Mistletone in Australia and New Zealand. The album was promoted by the singles "Arcadia", "Backwards and Upwards", and "Dominic"

Bee Thousand is the seventh album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices, released on June 21, 1994, on Scat Records. After its release the band became one of the more prominent groups associated with the "lo-fi" genre, a movement defined by the relatively low fidelity of audio releases. Musically, the album draws inspiration from British Invasion-era rock music and punk rock. Following the release of Bee Thousand, the band began to attract interest from other record labels, eventually signing with Matador for their next album.

Carrie & Lowell is the seventh studio album by American musician Sufjan Stevens. It was released on March 31, 2015, by Asthmatic Kitty. It is executively produced by Stevens, and features contributions from Thomas Bartlett, Sean Carey, Casey Foubert, Ben Lester, Nedelle Torrisi, and Laura Veirs.

Cheap at Half the Price is a 1983 solo album by English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith. It was Frith's fifth solo album, and was originally released in the United States on LP record on the Residents' Ralph record label. It was the third of three solo albums Frith made for the label.

Cheap Queen is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter King Princess, released on October 25, 2019, through Mark Ronson's imprint of Columbia Records, Zelig Records. A deluxe edition of the album with five additional tracks was released on February 14, 2020. Straus began a tour in support of the album on September 20.

The Creek Drank the Cradle is the debut studio album by American musician Iron & Wine. It was released on September 24, 2002. The vinyl LP release came with a bonus 7" vinyl single. The promo CD for this album was released in a cardboard sleeve with alternate artwork.

Death Is Unity With God is a studio album by American experimental musician Dominick Fernow under one of his aliases, Vatican Shadow, released on May 31, 2014 as a cassette box set on Hospital Productions and later reissued as an album in February 2015 and on June 11, 2015 on Modern Love.

Early Live Recordings is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter and musician Ariel Pink. It was released on December 17, 2013, through Human Ear Music record label. The album features Pink's early live recordings in the late 1990s and early 2000s under the aliases "Gorilla" and "Appleasians".

The Evens is the self-titled debut album from The Evens, a duo formed by Ian MacKaye on baritone guitar and Amy Farina on drums. Consisting of songs that the pair had been writing since August 2001, the songs would be performed live several times and even demoed before being recorded at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara during the summer of 2004. A reaction against what MacKaye had perceived to be the commercialization of rock music driven by the industry's "idea of youth", the album's "post-post-hardcore" sound is more stripped-down, minimal and personal in comparison to his work with Fugazi. The more direct and politically-charged lyrics, penned by both members, deal mainly with "the loss of community and the struggle to recapture it", though some of them feature romantic themes as well.

Friends is the 14th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 24, 1968, through Capitol Records. The album is characterized by its calm and peaceful atmosphere, which contrasted the prevailing music trends of the time, and for its brevity, with five of its 12 tracks running less than two minutes long. It sold poorly, peaking at number 126 on the US Billboard charts, the group's lowest US chart performance to date, although it reached number 13 in the UK. Fans generally came to regard the album as one of the band's finest.

Geidi Primes is the debut studio album by Canadian recording artist Grimes, released on January 10, 2010, by Arbutus Records. In 2011, the album was released in the United Kingdom by No Pain in Pop Records on CD and LP, containing a slightly different cover art. Geidi Primes is a concept album based on Frank Herbert's novel Dune and David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation of the book.

The Greatest Living Englishman is an album by English musician Martin Newell, released in November 1993. It was produced, engineered, and mastered by XTC's Andy Partridge, and recorded in his shed on a budget less than £12,000. The album was well-received by critics and ultimately became the most acclaimed of Newell's career.

The Headphone Masterpiece is the debut album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cody Chesnutt, released in 2002. It was recorded in his home bedroom with a 4-track recorder and Chesnutt playing guitar, bass, keyboard, and the organ. A 36-song double album, The Headphone Masterpiece features neo soul and lo-fi music, and distorted, overdubbed production. It was written and arranged by Chesnutt, whose mix of ironic and sincere lyrics reflect on personal experiences such as falling in love with his wife and reconciling his love for rock and roll with the drawbacks of the rock lifestyle.

Illinois is a 2005 concept album by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. His fifth studio album, it features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois. Illinois is Stevens' second based on a U.S. state—part of a planned series of fifty that began with the 2003 album Michigan and that Stevens has since acknowledged was a joke.

In Decay is a compilation album by American electronic musician Seth Haley's project Com Truise, released on July 16, 2012, by the independent record label Ghostly International. It is a collection of tracks that, prior to the release, were only available as tracks found on Haley's internet mixtape series, Komputer Kasts, and his SoundCloud account. These early tracks, some of which were produced before the release of his debut EP, Cyanide Sisters (2010), showcase Haley exploring an electropop funk music sound that would later come to define Com Truise. Critical reception upon release was mixed; a common praise was the album's sound design, while frequent criticisms were its repetition, and lack of distinct tone and feel of each track. A follow-up compilation album, In Decay, Too, was released in 2020.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second album by American rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released on February 10, 1998 by Merge Records. The music is predominantly indie rock and psychedelic folk, and is characterized by an intentionally low quality sound. Traditional instruments like the guitar and drums are paired with less conventional instruments such as a singing saw, zanzithophone, and uilleann pipes. The lyrics are surrealistic and opaque, with themes ranging from nostalgia to love.

Julie Ruin is the independent solo debut album by Kathleen Hanna under the name Julie Ruin in 1997, recorded while taking a break from Bikini Kill. Hanna recalled:[It] was made as Bikini Kill was in breaking up, a guy who worked across the street from my apartment building was stalking me and I was being treated, in my own community, like a historical oddity. The solo record helped me remember that I was just a fucking person who liked being creative.

Keyboard Fantasies is the third studio album by Canadian musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland, self-released on Atlast Records as a cassette in 1986, a time when Glenn-Copeland was best known for his children's television music. The album was inspired by the nature and environment of his home in Huntsville, Ontario, including the surrounding lakes and woods. Recorded using only a Yamaha DX7 and Roland TR-707 drum machine, the musician felt he was able to musically display the feelings that the environment gave him accurately. He felt the entirely electronic instrumentation he used was comparable to an orchestra because of the range of sounds he could create.

A Letter Home is the 33rd studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young. It was released on April 19, 2014 on Record Store Day by Third Man Records. The entire album, which consists of covers of classic songs by artists Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Gordon Lightfoot and others, was recorded in a refurbished 1947 Voice-o-Graph vinyl recording booth at Jack White's Third Man Records recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Of this method, White said, "we were obfuscating beauty on purpose to get to a different place, a different mood." The opening spoken-word track, and other spoken lines throughout the album, were addressed to Edna "Rassy" Young, Neil's mother who died in 1990. A message on Young's website described the album as "an unheard collection of rediscovered songs from the past recorded on ancient electro-mechanical technology captures and unleashes the essence of something that could have been gone forever".

Love Tara is the first full-length album by Canadian indie band Eric's Trip.

Lush is the debut studio album by Japanese-American musician Mitski. Mitski self-released the album on January 31, 2012 as her junior year project at SUNY Purchase.

McCartney is the debut solo album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 17 April 1970 by Apple Records. McCartney recorded it in secrecy, mostly using basic home-recording equipment at his house in St John's Wood. Mixing and some recording took place at professional London studios. In its loosely arranged performances, McCartney eschewed the polish of the Beatles' past records in favour of a lo-fi style. Apart from occasional contributions by his wife, Linda, McCartney performed the entire album alone by overdubbing on four-track tape.

Mwng is the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band the Super Furry Animals, and the first by the group to have lyrics written entirely in the Welsh language. Mwng was released on 15 May 2000 on the band's own record label, Placid Casual, following the demise of their former label, Creation. The album includes the single "Ysbeidiau Heulog", and reached number 11 on the UK Albums Chart following its release—the first Welsh-language album to reach the top 20. This success led to Mwng being mentioned in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom by Elfyn Llwyd, who described the record as a celebration of a "new wave of confidence in the Welsh nation".

Nearly God is the unofficial second album by English rapper and producer Tricky. It was released in February 1996 under the pseudonym "Nearly God", which originated from an interview during which Tricky was asked "so how does it feel to be God... well, nearly God."

Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker is a mini album by English rock band the Coral, released on 26 January 2004 by Deltasonic. The Coral began writing the record less than a month after releasing their second studio album, Magic and Medicine (2003). Recording for the album took place over 12 days at Bryn Derwen Studios in Wales with producer Ian Broudie, frontman for the Lightning Seeds; the Coral served as co-producers. Described as a lo-fi neo-psychedelia release, Nightfreak is a concept album about German tennis player Boris Becker.

Nine Times That Same Song is the debut studio album by Swedish indie pop group Love Is All. It was released by the independent record label What's Your Rupture? in January 2006.

Oar is the only solo studio album by American rock musician Skip Spence, released on May 19, 1969 by Columbia Records. It was recorded over seven days in December 1968 in Nashville, and features Spence on all of the instruments.

One Foot in the Grave is the third independent studio album and fourth overall by American alternative rock musician Beck, released in June 1994 on K Records, an independent label. It was recorded prior to the release of Mellow Gold, but was not released until after that album had met critical and commercial success. One Foot in the Grave shows a strong lo-fi and folk influence, and features several songs that are interpolations or covers of songs popularized by artists like Skip James and The Carter Family.

Pacer is an album released in October 1995 by the Amps, led by Kim Deal. The album was recorded as a side project to her group the Breeders. She recruited new musicians and naming the group the Amps, recorded Pacer at several studios in the US and Ireland, with different engineers, including Steve Albini, Bryce Goggin, and John Agnello.

A River Ain't Too Much to Love is the eleventh studio album by Smog. It was released on May 30, 2005 in Europe by Domino Recording Company and in North America by Drag City. It is Bill Callahan's final studio album released under the Smog moniker.

The Scrap Iron Rhythm Revue is a compilation album and the first album overall by English avant-pop band Stavely Makepeace, released in May 2004 by reissue label RPM Records. Compiled by journalist Bob Stanley, it contains a string of singles recorded between 1969 and 1984 that the band recorded in their home studio and released on various record labels. The band, primarily consisting of Rod Woodward and Nigel Fletcher, were influenced by Joe Meek, and started the band in order to explore experimental and disparate ideas within pop music, describing their musical style as the "scrap iron sound" in reference to their incorporation of unusual instruments. Their singles were commercially unsuccessful, though the band would find major success with "Mouldy Old Dough" (1972) under the extended line-up of Lieutenant Pigeon.

Shock-No-Par is the debut studio album by American musical group Octant, a project led by Seattle-based musician Matt Steinke. Recorded at the group's own studios, the album was then released by Up Records in August 1999. Shock-No-Par exemplifies the group's unusual lineup and set-up, with much of the music being played with Steinke's homemade inventions and the distinctive Octant robot—also created by Steinke—which provides the album's percussion and was credited as a band member, alongside Steinke, who added vocals and keyboards, and Tassany Zimmerman, who added backing vocals and operated the Macintosh used to control the homemade creations.

Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992 by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young. The album received critical acclaim and is seen as a landmark for indie rock, with Rolling Stone ranking it 199th on its 2020 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. As of 2007, the album had sold 150,000 copies.

Smiley Smile is the 12th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on September 18, 1967. It reached number 9 on UK record charts, but sold poorly in the US, peaking at number 41—the band's lowest chart placement to that point. Critics and fans generally received the album and its lead single, "Heroes and Villains", with confusion and disappointment. "Good Vibrations" and "Gettin' Hungry" were also released as singles, but the former was issued a year earlier, while the latter was not credited to the band.

Stop Your Nonsense is the debut album by English musical duo Position Normal, released in August 1999 by Mind Horizon Recordings. The album is constructed primarily from samples and found sounds, often taken from unusual vintage sources such as second-hand children's records and answer machine cassettes, often purchased by member Chris Bailiff in jumble sales and charity shops, or inherited from his father. Bailiff's bandmate John Cushway also contributes instrumentation and vocals. Released to critical acclaim, Stop Your Nonsense was praised for its distinctively whimsical and eccentric style, with writer Simon Reynolds later crediting the album for pioneering hauntology music. Position Normal later re-released the album themselves.

To See the Next Part of the Dream is the second studio album by South Korean musician Parannoul. It was independently released on February 23, 2021.

Uh Huh Her is the sixth studio album by English alternative rock musician PJ Harvey. The album was written, recorded and produced over a two-year period by the singer-songwriter herself. She also played every instrument on the album with the exception of the final drum tracks, added by long-time collaborator Rob Ellis. It was released on 31 May 2004 in the United Kingdom, and 8 June 2004 in the United States.

We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves is the third album by American lo-fi musician John Maus, released on June 27, 2011. Its title is derived from French philosopher Alain Badiou's "Fifteen Theses on Contemporary Art". Maus said that he wrote the album in a "search for the perfect pop song". Upon release, the album was met with generally favorable reviews, a contrast from the reception of Maus' earlier work. Three singles were issued from the album: "Quantum Leap", "Believer" and "Hey Moon".

Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? is the second and final studio album by Canadian indie rock band the Unicorns. It features several re-arranged versions of songs from their earlier self-released album Unicorns Are People Too. The album was first issued on CD and on vinyl in North America by Alien8 Recordings on October 21, 2003, and on CD in Europe by Rough Trade Records in 2004. It has since been repressed in limited quantities on pink and brown vinyl by Alien8 and was re-released on August 26, 2014 on the band's own label, Caterpillar Records.

Wild Honey is the 13th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released December 18, 1967 on Capitol Records. It was the group's first foray into soul music and was heavily influenced by the R&B of artists such as Stevie Wonder. The album was the band's worst-selling at that point, charting at number 24 in the US. Lead single "Wild Honey" peaked at number 31, while its follow-up "Darlin'" reached number 19. In the UK, the album peaked at number seven.

Yaeji is the debut extended play by South-Korean-American house producer Kathy Yaeji Lee, known by her stage name as Yaeji. Written and produced by Lee and Nick Sylvester, the EP is a lo-fi house record with minimal structures and spoken word lyrics in a combination of Korean and English languages. It was released by the label Godmode on March 31, 2017 and garnered mostly favorable reviews from critics, landing at No. 50 on Pitchfork's list of the "50 Best Albums of 2017."

You Think You Really Know Me is the debut album by American experimental musician Gary Wilson. It was reissued by Motel Records in 2002.

You'll Cowards Don't Even Smoke Crack is the fifth studio album by American rapper and producer Viper. It was released on February 19, 2008, through his own homemade record label, Rhyme Time Records, and later released physically by indie record label Animated Music. It is the most well known of all of his albums, gathering a cult following in the years since its release. Viper himself has been quoted as saying it is his favorite album he has made.