The second album I’m gonna mention is pretty different, but equally as cool. A hip hop concept album from one of my favourite hip hop bands, the Roots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbRROmHtpFU

The story behind it(as I understand) is of the life and death of some guy living in a rough area somewhere in the US, but in reverse, so the first track deals with his death, and so on, finishing with a series of 4 nicely put together piano-based pieces. It’s not what I would’ve expected of them at all, much more mellow and less funky, with more melodic vocal sections than the stuff I know by them, but they nonetheless do it very well. As a concept album it does tend to work better when listened to as a whole, so I’d recommend doing it that way too hah.