Juicy - It Takes Two (1985)

Regarded as a classic by 80s/90s club and urban radio DJs, Juicy is some sexy synth funk and sample magic. I only copped this a month ago after hearing the "Sugar Free" track on DJ Screw's legendary 3 N' Tha Morning mix. I was on a huge New Jack Swing and 80s funk kick then and I desperately needed to hear that track again if not the entire album... I was not let down at all. I had definitely heard the opener and title track on my city's 'Old School' radio station which is the only good station in my city. These grooves are effortlessly tight and with plenty of amazing synth, drum, and overdub work. I also obviously can't leave out how great of singers these two are; never over the top and always just float around their music hitting every dynamic perfectly. I understand if you think this album might be corny because of the cover--the 80s soul scene was all about that type of shit and I love it--but it's not by any means.

Sample

It Takes Two

Various Artists - New York Noise Vol 1, 2 and 3 (2003, 2005, 2006)

The New York Noise trilogy. These three compilation albums, ironically enough published by a London-based label, are definitely the best albums to showcase New York's infamous No Wave scene, a kind of sarcastic deconstruction of New Wave, which was insanely popular at the time. This album really shows a different side to No Wave though. It wasn't as one-dimensional as some people seem to imagine. There was more to No Wave than just Swans or DNA, there was another side, seemingly influenced by disco and funk, just as crazy and spastic as a lot of other No Wave, and this comp does an amazing job tying everything together. There are more danceable tracks, there are songs more in the style of DNA (hell there's even a DNA track or two on these comps), and interestingly enough there are even some pretty early Hip Hop tracks on here. It's amazing how these albums manage to bring Post-Punk, No Wave, and Hip Hop all together seamlessly. The whole album is energetic, spastic, and crazy. It perfectly sums up No Wave, and it's pretty much an essential listen for fans of the scene, or even for people who want to get into No Wave, there's no better entry point than this in my opinion.

Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3