Everyone has a line, a breaking point, that, when reached makes them rethink certain things. I continued to use Spotify for far longer than I should have, in addition to my regular support of the music I love. (I mean, really, we should all be augmenting our streaming services with buying records, concert tickets, merch, etc, whenever we can.) But a few months ago, former Spotify CEO (and current executive chair) Daniel Ek pledged €600 million of his vast, ill-gotten fortune to Helsing, a German firm specializing in AI military technology. This was my line. It was time to ditch Spotify for a different evil steaming overlord – Apple Music. I wanted to do something to “celebrate” this change. A new playlist series seemed like a good idea. Something to help me familiarize myself with a new platform, but also to combat the rise of insipid AI-created playlists. I'm (not actually) sorry, but an algorithm cannot make a mixtape with any kind of feeling or purpose. A good mix is something you sit down, think about, select carefully. I should know, I've been making tapes and playlists for my friends for almost three decades now. (Shout out Blake Shiny Tunes. IYKYK)

But just making a playlist didn't seem particularly fun or exciting, so I sat and I thought, long and hard. Who do I know that uses Apple Music that can help put something together? And it occurred to me, one of coolest dudes I know, and one of my most-trusted music allies uses Apple Music, the big homie Joshua Szirmay-Corrales. From the moment I met Josh in the middle of Rifflandia festival, discussing the great Reggie Watts, he has become one of my most trusted musical taste-havers. The man's ear is impeccable. In a world where everyone seemingly has something to recommend for my ears, Josh is one of the only people who gets their recommendations to the front of my queue. In recent years he's taken up as the main writing contributor with Rocktographers, our hometown Victoria's most-trusted source for live music coverage, and our local scene is absolutely better for it.

And now we're here, celebrating the very first Trash Gentlemen List. This recurring playlist will be a place to celebrate all the different bits of music that make us love it so much. This is a place for you, dear reader/listener, to come find something new, maybe reconnect with something old and most hopefully, to help you think about music in some of the ways you used to, before an algorithm started to take everything over. Each one of these lists is going to be built around a unifying theme or idea, not just a collection of dope songs (Though each list certainly will be that!). To get things started we're looking at some of our favourite Track 1s and opening the series with, well, a series of openers. So sit back, relax and let's get into some fucking music.

The Trash gentlemen List - vol. 1 on apple music

Your curators. Photo courtesy of the gawd, Tyson Elder of Rocktographers.

Change of the Guard
Kamasi Washington – The Epic

When Kamasi Washington released The Epic in 2015, the album immediately became a staple in my jazz collection. Side A of this album is one of the main reasons it made such an impact, especially with the track, Change of the Guard. The twelve minute opening track begins with some ear opening piano chords before unleashing the full instrumentation of the band. That’s when the choir presented itself and let me tell you, I began to float into the sky. The track plays around with different paces and moods, promptly preparing listeners for what to expect from other tracks on the album. It’s almost like a trial experience for the rest of The Epic. The song ends with this psychedelic arrangement which blends perfectly into the next song of the album. This is how you open an album; by leaving listeners with their jaws dropped.

Wolf Pack
Pigeon Hole – Chimp Blood

“Wolf Pack” makes me want to run into the forest and dropkick the first megafauna I see. Start a fight with a giant animal for absolutely no reason. Pigeon Hole has come a long way from Chimp Blood, but “Wolf Pack” has stayed with me even if they have moved further away from it. (To clarify, it's just the rapping part they've moved away from. They've augmented and leaned into the huge bass that is featured through all of Chimp Blood.) A lot of people know the duo now as heavy bass dealers, which they definitely are, but big raps used to be a big part of it. They were in goddamn Sweatshop Union, for fuck sake. For over a decade, “Wolf Pack” has been one of my most consistent sources of quick energy. It makes me hit the keys harder, walk faster, breath heavier, punch and kick the air harder. The second verse is, honestly, probably a top 25 verse in rap for me. Part of that is definitely the west coast, Island kid in me, but the point stands. The song is a ferociously braggadocios and ungodly fun piece of bass-rap, that opens up one of the best albums to come out of the Canadian west coast in this century.

The Cave (Joey Altruda Mix)
Culver City Dub Collective – Dos

Honestly, I just like this one. It's the first track on one of my all-time favourite weed smokin' records. It's a gentle, lilting dub that I thought would add a nice warmth to this mix and by a band that probably should have got at least a little more love than they previously have. You know those bands that you have one album of in your collection and you have to really think about how it got there, but it's been there a long time and no matter how it made its way there, you're glad to have found it and kept it. When I was in my 20s I was a huge Jack Johnson fan – all hail the Soft Rock King! – and I was digging up everything I could. Soundtracks, singles and side projects. This is how I found Culver City Dub Collective. It was(is? It seems to be on hiatus, at least) the side-project of his long-time drummer, Adam Topol. I don't remember what show I picked it up from but I'm fairly certain it wasn't a Jack Johnson show – Maybe it was a Mason Jennings show? Or an Animal Liberation Orchestra show? Whatever show it was is irrelevant, I suppose. But it's fun give those musical memory muscles a work out trying to figure out the mystery. “The Cave” is a great track to put on when you need to feel something warm in your ears, or to match a warm summer temperature, or to match the warm feelings in your lungs when you're burning one down. It's also a song that's genuinely indicative of what follows on Dos. If your ears like what's happening on this one, the rest of the album is definitely going to be of interest. Dig up Dos if you need that warmth.

XXX
Danny Brown – XXX

14 years ago, Fools Gold Records had signed Detroit’s Danny Brown to the label. Later that same year, Danny would release XXX. This mixtape would be a pivotal moment for the motor city artist, as it would debut his unique voice and sound to a bigger market. XXX would start off with a track sharing the mixtapes name and would feature a sample from Inoue Takayuki. Side note: this sample was also used on Super Legends by Bun B, NEMS, Smif-N-Wessun and Statik Selektah, but that’s another great track that’ll probably be brought up another time. While the overall beat for Super Legends was this, in your face, gritty sound, the beat for “XXX” is more subtle and in the background. Starting the album off this way was a smart move and a more palatable way to be introduced to Danny and his personality. “XXX” flows perfectly into the rest of the mixtape and all the different experiences it has to offer.

If you love somebody set them free
Sting – The Dream of The Blue Turtles

Let’s go back in time to the 1980s. The Police were the talk of the town, and having just released Synchronicity continued to push them to higher heights. With the group disbanding in 1984, fans were left wondering what was next for each of the performers. For Sting, this question would be answered quickly with his solo debut album, The Dream of The Blue Turtles. Overall, it’s just a pop album with Jazz and Gospel influences, but it’s a strong showing for a debut solo album. Take the first track for example, “If you love somebody set them free.” The 4 minutes opening track kicks off with some backing vocals behind Sting’s voice, only to build-up into some sweet organ and saxophone greatness. While each song on this album gives a different flavour, this first song made for a great starting point before diving into the rest of the music. He may have had to set his previous music endeavours free, but Sting as a solo artist will forever go unmatched.

Dopamine Lit (Intro)
Lupe Fiasco – Drogas Light

I don't think I can ever forget listening to not just “Dopamine Lit” for the first time, but the whole of Drogas Light. After a couple of kinda-misses with Lasers and Food & Liquor II, Lupe blessed rap fans with Tetsuo & Youth, an album hard to argue against as a legit rap masterpiece. That album felt like a cleansing rain, washing away the gummy residue of those last two records. So when Drogas Light came out, anticipation was high. “How would the mighty Lupe going to use the momentum gained with Tetsuo?” I fired up the album and heard “Dopamine Lit (Intro)” and lost my fucking mind. “Holy jebus, Lupe is on fire.” And then I heard the rest of the album. Oof. In a catalogue of highs and lows, Drogas Light remains the worst record in Lupe Fiasco's career. It's just not good. There are a couple tracks that are pretty decent, but sometimes he sounds like he's doing Drake? I dunno. I've tried a couple times to revisit the album and have been unsuccessful in those attempts. But “Dopamine Lit” has remained consistently on my “Most Played” year in and year out. I can make an argument for Lupe being one of the best rappers of his generation and if I was making the argument, I would absolutely be including “Dopamine Lit” into the evidence.

Chinatown
Destroyer – Kaputt

Dan Bejar, the mastermind of Destroyer, keeps fans guesses every time an album is set to release. Dan might be the constant, but the genre always varies. 2011’s Kaputt was a synth-pop dream come true created by Dan and featured the opening track, Chinatown. The song features a delayed trumpet solo and then runs into a synth and saxophone pairing which is beautiful. A lot of different moving parts on this song that come together is a perfect way. I’ve also had the blessing of hearing an acoustic version of this track when I saw Dan live in 2023. For a song that might be considered busy to some, it stripped down rather nicely for an unplugged setting. A song that can do both? Say less. While this song alone is great, you need to hear it with the rest of the album.

1995
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo 2

Once Rags and I decided on this topic, I knew I wanted to add a Freddie Gibbs song into the mix. Having been a fan of Pinata for so many years, it only felt right. To my surprise, my choice comes from Alfredo 2, Freddie’s recent reunification with The Alchemist. The album slaps and “1995” provides a perfect opening experience for listeners. This song features a beat change, going from a cut-up soul sample to a psychedelic electric guitar riff. The one constant on this track is Freddie Gibbs’ flow. The comfortability of Gibbs on this track continues throughout the album and proves that the connection between these two giants is a match made in heaven. Could we potentially see a third installment of Alfredo? I have no doubt in my mind that we will.

Jerusalem
Dan Bern – Dan Bern

“When I tell that I love you, don't test my love/accept my love, 'cause maybe I don't love you all that much” is one of the best opening lines in a song, ever. I'll fight anyone about it. Not only having that as the first line on your album, but your debut album. This is how Dan Bern announced himself to the world. I've written extensively about Bern, here on Rags Music and various other places because his music, specifically the lyrics, have burrowed themselves so deep inside me. I feel like I've learned so much about being a human being and what that means from listening to Bern's music. I truly believe he is one of the great songwriters, not only of his generation, but of all time. He also was there, standing outside of Herman's Jazz Club, helping with the creation of 5 Question with Rags, the thing I've worked on the longest for in my entire life. “Jerusalem” is so fucking funny, full of sadness and absurdity – a combination that has defined a large swath of Bern's songwriting. At one point in the song he twice declares “I am the messiah! I am the messiah!” Which he apparently did at the behest of his therapist, Dr. Nusbaum. I like words. I like laughing while I feeling big things. This is why I like Dan Bern so much and I can't think of a better entry way into his world than the first song on his first album.

the maniacs
Kjahn & Brainiac – 2 Nails In The Coffin

Part of the benefit of being the editor on things like this, is you can make last minute changes! As I was putting this together, I stared at this list, kind of jealous of my comrade's choice of Gibbs and Alchemist's “1995.” 2025 has been such an incredible year for rap, how could I not also choose an opener from one of the many incredible albums this year has brought us?! So, here we are, with “the maniacs,” the opening track from Kjahn & Braniac's magnificent 2 Nails In The Coffin. Braniac has been one of my favourite west coast MCs since his 2019 beast of an album, Lunch Meat and while I'm not familiar with Kjhan, this album has certainly got me eager to dive into his music. (Holy hell, I just took at a look at his discography and he released an album this year called Road to Wrestlemania, full of tracks with wrestling references in the titles. Okay, investigating Kjahn's discography has just become a top priority.) “the maniacs” is a slow, wobbly piece of rap that finds both MCs in top form, trading contemplative verses over gentle keys and a kinda stoned and forlorn horn line. There's even a hook that'll get into your brain. In fact, if you like hooks in your jazzy boom-bap rap, you should be getting 2 Nails In The Coffin into your listening diet immediately. That shit is lousy with hooks, soul, personality, and all the other things that I love about rap music.

Two Door
MIKE & Tony Seltzer – Pinball

MIKE has been on a generational run lately. So, when he connected with Brooklyn producer, Tony Seltzer for their 2024 project, Pinball, you knew some magic was going to be made. The first track, “Two Door,” takes listeners on a cosmic trap joyride. Fundamentally, this is just another track to max out your bass-boosted sound system, but MIKE still makes this track his own with his storytelling and flow. After his verse, the song goes into this hypnotic repetition, which takes us all the way to the end of the track. Two Door set the stage for Pinball’s success and the project was so good that earlier this year, the two teamed up once more for Pinball 2. These two pieces of work are worth your time.

Nightmares and Dreams
Your Old Droog – Yod Stewart

When I came up with the idea for this little project, I knew whatever this turned out to be was gonna have some Droog. When it was decided we gonna start with opening tracks I immediately became overwhelmed with the options. As much as I've been a dedicated Droog album-listener in the decade since I first heard The Nicest, it didn't occur to me just how good YOD is on the opener. It makes sense – his albums play like stories, novels, and like any good book, that first chapter has gotta hook you in. Droog knows to hook someone from the first line on a project. It's one of his best skills as a writer, and he's rapper whose toolkit is not lacking. I could have picked “Fela Kruti” from YOD Wave. Or I could have gone with “The Unknown Comic” from Yodney Dangerfield. Definitely could have gone with “G.K.A.C.” from Packs. Would have loved to pick “Success & Power,” the opener from his absolutely colossal album from last year, Movie. This was 100% a gametime decision. The homie and I were playing each our selections for this playlist and then it came time for me to choose my Droog, stoned on the couch in a slightly smokey living room, “Nightmares and Dreams” from his, quite frankly, incredible Yod Stewart fit the vibe the best. If you're already on the Droog train, you know what's up. Guy is one of most consistently dope storytellers going right now, bars dripping with charisma, confidence and some of the funniest punch lines punctuating his bars. And if you're not on the train, I hope you take this introduction to heart and sort your life. Tap in to Your Old Droog.