The saddest moment in professional wrestling history...

So we all know professional wrestling is fake. Like, some die hards defend the fact that people get hurt and stuff, but the bottom line is that the ends of the matches are pre-determined and everything is pretty scripted. But if there is one single moment in wrestling that makes me wish I had never played that fateful game of WWF Warzone a mere 10 years ago it is this...



Oh dear. "He ripped that steel door off the cage!"

My critique of the Office

SPOILER WARNING: The following piece contains spoilers regarding the current season of NBC’s The Office.

Let me begin by saying I am a lover of comedy, I can enjoy the humor of Frasier one moment, and mere hours later get a good chuckle out of MTV’s Jackass. I like to think of comedy as a spectrum, each television show, movie, blog, article, sketch bit and stand-up a separate blip on that spectrum. While many blips may appear similar, the point of the matter is that comedy in itself is diverse, and rarely is there one piece of comedy that unites fans in the entire spectrum.

And then along came the Office, a re-make of the British series pioneered by comedy mastermind Ricky Gervais. The first season was a mere six episodes that introduced the world to the employees of Dunder Miflin paper company, I could scroll through the characters and give them each one line biographies, but since most of you have watched the show I will spare you the trouble of reading something like that. The first two seasons were classic, they had elements of slapstick, parody, wit and a whole load of great characters to bat. And the drama, it was so tense, we all were so curious as to what would happen with Jim and Pam and Roy. And Michael kissing Jan! That was so intense! Season three was no failure either, as the first half of the season, split between Jim’s transfer in lovely Stamford, Connecticut, and the usual antics of Scranton. We were introduced to the angry Andy Bernard and the attractive and sharp witted Karen Fillipelli. All seemed well, and once the Stamford and Scranton branch merged, the comedy and the drama remained constant. The love triangle warped, and we got some great comedic chemistry from Dwight and Andy, kudos to Rainn Wilson and Ed Helms. But then came Season 4…the writers strike season.


I truly am a douchebag.

The first big bang of the season was the removal of Karen. Rather than keep her in the mix to add some tension to Jim and Pam having a public relationship, they merely wrote her off, saying she couldn’t stand to work around Jim anymore. They could’ve filmed a little vignette about it, but nope, just a talking head of Jim. Putting Ryan as Michael’s superior seemed destined for laughs, but it flopped miserably, peaking in an episode where Michael, Dwight and Ryan go clubbing and Dwight hooks up with a college volleyball player. Another season low to me was the episode “Dinner Party” in which Michael and Jan invite over Jim, Pam, Andy and Angela for dinner just to have the night implode. While skeptics of the season praised this as one of the greater episodes, introducing Dwight into the mix with a homeless woman was so completely ridiculous that it negated any other memorable piece of entertainment from the episode. What made the first three seasons classic was their believability, while the antics of Dunder Miflin were a bit off the wall, they could be happening somewhere. But season 4 really pushed that concept to the very limit. I mean would Michael really drive his car into a pond just to prove that machines are flawed? And would he live in the forest just to prove he was a man? That’s stupid.

However, towards the end of the season, the show seemed on a comeback, fresh back from the writers strike, the season ended on an incredibly high note. Ryan got busted for fraud and was arrested, Andy proposed to Angela, Toby left to go to Costa Rica, and the icing on the cake was Holly, played brilliantly by Amy Ryan. The character was perfect, she was cute, quirky and entirely original to the series, and the chemistry between her and Michael was just so entertaining. It looked as if instead of falling back into the classic mold of seasons 1-3, we were going to have the show go in a brand new terrain without two major characters of prior seasons and with one incredible new character.


"Thank you for saving our show! Please don't get written off!"

And then the season premier came on and all seemed to be so well and wait a minute. Ryan is a temp. He’s back to where he was in the beginning. Great. But the Michael/Holly relationship was so much fun to see unravel, as it seemed there was someone as zany as Micahel. If there is one thing on the Office that makes me smile it’s when they make Michael out to be a real person, like when you really feel his emotions rather than laugh at his idiocy. But a mere few episodes in what did they have to do? Pull the plug. Send Holly away and end the story as simply as that. Destroy a great sub plot that made Jim and Pam’s stale relationship feel as boring as it really has become. And who did they replace Holly with? A fresh face to add another fun dimension to a show that needs a fresh new face? Nope. It’s Toby. Great. Okay so where are we? Back to Season 2 with the Andy/Angela/Dwight love triangle replacing the Roy/Pam/Jim one. Hooray! Now this re-incarnation of the past has both ups and downs. It’s good in a sense that the writers have a canvas to paint all over and try and make new things, and it’s bad because it seems as if they have no way of really surprising us anymore. The episodes seemed pretty stagnant as far as quality was concerned. They were entertaining to a degree, but never challenging to the audience, and none were really engaging.

The one big reveal was the ending of the Andy and Angela relationship, as well as the Dwight and Angela relationship. Making Phyllis give the reveal was a great addition of depth to her character, and making everyone in the office but Andy aware of it made for a brief bit of good comedy. The culmination of these events in “The Duel” were solid both in the comedy and drama departments. The whole bit of running Dwight over was a bit crazy, but given the past season it wasn’t the lowest the show had gone. The end of that episode tore at my heart strings, and that’s another thing I love about the Office. But surely enough the most recent episode came along and now it’s as if the whole thing had never even occurred. Okay, I hate this, but the season is not over so maybe they can resurrect it. And “Prince Family Paper” on a whole was one of the most riveting episodes I’ve seen. The subplot of Michael and Dwight at the competitor was so heartwrenching that I really felt the pain Michael did as he gave the numbers to David Wallace. Things like that truly make the show stand out.

So where can the Office go from here? My advice is somewhere new, bring in someone new, and the key-the one golden rule that I think the show should follow-keep it rooted in reality. No dumb gags just to get laughs. I would like to see a bit more character development from Stanley and Creed, who have been whittled down to simple one note gimmicks. Maybe bring back Holly for an episode or two to fully complete that story, and give Darryl a prominent role, as he is easily one of the funniest people on the show. The Jim/Pam wedding is looming in the distance, so that could prove to be fun. The show is by no means bad, it’s just a bit tired and in need of re-fueling. I pray the writers are able to truly bring new life to this show that I love so much. Please writers, do it for lowly Dave Winchell.


"I am funnier than Jim, no doubt!"

So that’s all I have to say.

More of this please!

Take Shavo from System of a Down, add in RZA from the mighty Wu-Tang Clan and a few of his colleagues and you have Achozen. They are a pretty sweet hybrid group that did a few tracks for the Babylon A.D. soundtrack. We got the Serj album, we got Scars on Broadway, now Shavo needs to step out and put out a full album.



It's pretty sweet.

Computer Problems

Yesterday I accidentally dumped a small amount of water on my laptop, 2 ounces to be exact, thanks to the gauge on my Nalgene bottle. Basically everything went crazy, and the E, K, 3 and left keys on my keyboard shorted. So I bought a USB keyboard and for now I have the laptop, but I'm going to bring it in to the Apple Store and see what they can do to fix the keys. So you may see me disappear for a few days....but for those curious, this is what may be coming in the future.

"Cheese in Music: It's delicious!"

A nice little piece about how I feel about music that doesn't take itself seriously.

"Facebook Stereotyping"

In which I make a fake Facebook profile in an effort to pinpoint social stereotypes.

And a few movie reviews, such as The Wrestler and maybe a DVD review for the Pineapple Express Unrated Edition...

So keep on clicking, and feel free to donate a few bucks to the cause of my laptop repair!

Enter Sandman

Okay, if there is one moment in wrestling that stands out to me as simply classic, it's this entrance at ECW One Night Stand from 2005. There is NO wrestling in this clip, just a bond between a group of insanely loyal fans and a few great wrestlers.



Like seriously...if you don't think that those rabid ECW fans don't love the Sandman you have problems.

Oscar Nom's are out...

Well the Oscar Nominations were announced today. I must say I am both glad and a bit let down by some of them. One of the biggest surprises to me was the number of nod's Benjamin Button got. I haven't seen the movie, but I've heard that it's mediocre at best. Hopefully I can get the chance at some point soon, but honestly I'm not all that interested.

And the Dark Knight is getting "snubbed" some say. We all knew Heath Ledger would get the nod for Joker, I mean the second that trailer came out we knew it would happen. But is TDK really best picture material? Like, I see how it transcends the superhero genre, but is it really a classic? Sure it's better than movies like The Boondock Saints, but if you were to pit it up against any classic, The Godfather series (well 1 and 2), Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, and Seven, it really doesn't stand a chance. Excuse me for this ongoing rant, but I believe that those that hype it as a classic clearly don't watch enough film. Maybe it's better than Ben Button, but I thoroughly enjoyed Frost/Nixon and Wall-E more than TDK.

Oh speaking of Wall-E, why didn't Pixar push for that to be nominated for Best Picture? I mean, that movie is beautiful in every way. Maybe it got a bit odd towards the end, but it was awesome. I left the theater feeling bittersweet, and an animated movie has never done that for me. It is best picture material. That to me is the biggest snub job they did.

And my personal favorite nomination is Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder. I was excited for it, as I personally find that performance is just as good as Ledger (I've debated it many times and the answer won't be reached). He won't win, but the nod is all it takes for people like my parents to turn around and say, "Hey I want to see Downey in that movie, can we watch your copy?"

And I'm seeing the Wrestler tonight, so I'll give my two cents about that. Maybe a real movie review? Who knows.

Acceptable TV was so great.

I miss this show every day!

I really love Vampire Weekend.

They are just so fun. The music is so simple, but it's also surprisingly intricate. Check out this live vid of "M79"



It's also really catchy and fun.

More Lights!

I've discovered another video from that extremely talented and cute as a button songstress Lights. Check it, 'cause her music is really cool and it makes me very tired but in a good way.



Don't you just want to lay down and sleep?

Okay so maybe I was wrong...

I made a comment in an earlier entry about a sub par new track by Eminem that sampled a Del/Aesop Rock track on a Wu-Tang tribute album. The master of the track is actually pretty catchy. And it's got Dre and 50 doing pretty good verses.

Stratford's NEWEST SENSATION

The Debut of the BRAND SPANKIN' NEW Stratford CT Alt/Funk Band ASTRONAUT JONES featuring the delicious musical talents of...

ZACH MIKO-The former guitarist of TEMPEST EDGE who wrote their classics "Voice of a Memory" and "End This Life" as well as solo rocker known for his debut EP Rough Cut.

DAVE WINCHELL-Bassist and once guitarist of local ska martyrs THREE YEARS ACCIDENT FREE as well as one half of the fantastic cover band LEFT SAID NED and most recently the funky but environmentally aware VIA WARP PIPE.

TYLER MAHARD- Drummer extraordinaire, most well known as drummer of TEMPEST EDGE giving their alternative hard rock the kick that it needs! He also shreds on the axe for ONE QUICK MIRACLE and turns off the distortion to perform acoustic classics "Long Dark Road" and "White Dove"

And who can forget the rest of the lineup featuring such prominent groups as...

DYLAN CONNOR and the DYLAN CONNOR BAND

MIKE FALZONE

and CHARLUS

So it's at THE SPACE in Hamden, CT. The gig starts at 8, and ASTRONAUT JONES will be performing at 8:30. Do you want tickets? Buy them from THE ASTRONAUT to save you the trouble at the door! $10 for a night of rock, roll, and soul. SO COME ON OUT AND LET'S HAVE FUN!

THE BEST of 2008 LIST!

Before I begin, let me give a disclaimer that I really am not some hipster music junkie. The music that I listen to is mostly mainstream, and I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m not going to be listening to the most random obscurities from artists I've heard about on my favorite Of Montreal forum. I hear about new artists from magazines and the internet, so if you think my list is too mainstream well you can eat a pickle. So with that out of the way, I am excited to present my second annual “Best Of” list. This year I listened to more albums so I made it a top 20 rather than 10. Just to give you perspective, I listened to 40+ albums released in this year and these are my prime cuts and stale picks…so let us begin with my new category…


SHAME ON YOU!
This is those albums that could’ve been great, really, but ended up not delivering entirely.

Girl Talk-Feed The Animals: It’s not that I hate Girl Talk, I just hate that he doesn’t make more fluid tracks. The album plays like one schizophrenic mans 45 minute endeavour changing radio stations. I don’t like that.
Weezer-Weezer (The Red Album): Talk about a stacked deck…the first three tracks on this album are incredible. The rest…not so much. Rivers dropped the ball big time with this. It’s not awful by any means, it just had too much hype on it and didn’t deliver.
Gym Class Heroes-The Quilt: I have a detailed review down below, so I won’t say much aside from this band has so much potential and they completely wasted it trying to make a radio friendly album.
Kanye West-808’s and Heartbreak: Wow Kanye. The vocoder was T-Pain’s thing, then Weezy’s thing, and now it’s yours? Whoa buddy. I wouldn’t mind a song or two using the same drum machine and vocal distortion, but an entire album? “Heartless” is the only decent song.

Now onto the honorable mentions…

Del tha Funkee Homosapien-11th Hour: I like this album but it is mediocre. Del is a hip hop icon and most people just recognize him as that cartoon ghost from “Clint Eastwood”. I enjoy the album and a few tracks are damn good, the rest feels like he just kind of threw it together.
Metallica-Death Magnetic: Some call it a return to form for the boys, and I agree that it feels a lot better than St. Anger, but my biggest problem with Metallica is their epic song structures that would work so much better if they were just trimmed on the edges, and this album goes back to that. The album rocks hard, but not hard enough to make its way onto the list.
MGMT-Oracular Spectacular: Another good album that just didn’t stick. “Electric Feel” and “Time To Pretend” are great tracks, but “Kids” kind of got tired to me after the 12th time.
Flight of the Conchords-Flight of the Conchords: I feel like this relies on the show for a lot of its laughs. I do enjoy the music, but a lot of times I’m laughing because I’m associating the song with its music video from the show. A great listen, I just think people who aren’t fans of the show won’t understand the reasoning for it.

Okay now onto the list…


20. The Ting Tings-We Started Nothing
An incredibly infectious album. It’s simple and it’s catchy and all it makes you want to do is dance. And that is why it is on this list. I won’t say anymore because it’s self explanatory.
Notable tracks: “Shut Up and Let Me Go” “That’s Not My Name” “Fruit Machine”
19. NaS-Untitled
NaS is easily one of the greatest rappers of all time. This album has a handful of gems, and the way it starts off with the simple but effective track “Queens Get The Money” had me ready for an awe inspiring ride through NaS’s beliefs on racism and the evolution of the African American race. However, I feel like the album kind of fell into a slump of just saying how America is a white racist country. That’s not good. There are a few good collaborations though, and this album more than definitely warrants a play, if only to hear what the controversy is about.
Notable tracks: “Queens Get the Money” “Fried Chicken” “N.I.*.*.E.R.”
18. Guns n’ Roses-Chinese Democracy
It came out! Now the world can end. But in all seriousness, if there is one thing this album does is throw a lot at the audience. It’s intricate and it says something about Axl Rose. While track for track analysis would put a lot of other albums above this as far as quality is concerned, the first time I listened to this album I just went “Whoa. It’s here and it’s awesome.” If you don’t expect another Appetite for Destruction, you won’t be disappointed.
Notable tracks: “I.R.S.” “Riad in Bedouins” “Chinese Democracy”
17. Estelle-Shine
That “American Boy” song is such a good pop hit, and the rest of the album follows suit. It’s a fun, danceable record with a whole lot of replay potential. There are some great guest spots from Kanye West (obviously), John Legend and Cee-Lo. Estelle’s great voice really does Shine.
Notable tracks: “American Boy” “In The Rain” “Pretty Please (Love Me)”
16. Common-Universal Mind Control
It got panned by critics but I think Common has a very different vibe throughout this whole album. His close to 40 year old hormones are runnin’ wild and Pharrell and Chad Hugo seem to find a way to make them translate into good music. Maybe it’s not Be or Like Water for Chocolate, but if you did the research, Common clearly wanted this to be a party record and that’s what it is. It’d be like if Maya Angelou wrote a corny rhyming poem about how much fun she had playing bridge with her friends. People would say “Oh it’s bad because she’s done so much better” and then others would say “It’s a good poem for what it is.” Universal Mind Control is good for what it is.
Notable tracks: “Announcement” “Gladiator” “Universal Mind Control”
15. Lil Wayne-Tha Carter III
One million copies in one week says a whole lot. I feel like a lot of people are very harsh on Weezy, but to put it simply, “real” hip-hop fans think he sucks because he’s on the radio collaborating with whoever wants him to show up, “fake” hip-hop fans love him because he has a strange voice and raps weird. I believe that I fall somewhere in the middle, not in my level of hip-hop fandom, but in my level of liking Wayne. He claims to be among the Pac’s and the Biggie’s on “Mr. Carter” and I think that’s a long shot at this point, but he’s definitely not in the same league as all of these trash rappers you hear on the radio. And just as he goes out and does guest spots for other guys, they reciprocate on this, giving it a family vibe that a lot of hip-hop doesn’t have. While Common and NaS are known for their better works, Weezy has only to grow into himself as an artist even more, and the prospect of that excites me.
Notable tracks: “3Peat” “Mr. Carter” “Got Money”
14. The Mars Volta-The Bedlam in Goliath
My biggest problem with Volta on previous albums was that they have WAY too much filler. There are tracks that go for like 4-7 minutes of just Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala probably getting coffee and leaving their amps and microphones recording. With this they definitely tone that down in favor or a lot harder and more to-the-point rock. I’m not saying Volta went and turned into AC/DC, but I feel like they definitely made an album that your average person who maybe isn’t all that into obscure sounds would enjoy. I bump this album in my Subaru Outback, not gonna lie.
Notable tracks: “Metatron” “Wax Simulacra” “Goliath”
13. TIE: RZA as Bobby Digital-Digi Snacks/GZA-Pro Tools
I lump these two together for one obvious reason and that is their Wu-Tang affiliation. While both albums are good hip-hop albums, neither really jumped off the speakers and made me go “Whoa” like any of their older stuff does. And the Bobby Digital albums generally don’t hold my attention at all. RZA employs some guest producers, which in my opinion is a waste of his talent, and GZA rarely uses the RZA to produce, which is a shame. I feel as if I haven’t given either of these albums a chance, so I may have to amend this list at some point, but for now, they are fine where they are. And Digi Snacks is by far my favorite album cover of the year.
Notable tracks: “Digi Snacks Intro” “You Can’t Stop Me Now” “Straight Up The Block” “Alphabets” “Paper Plate” “Pencil”
12. Scars on Broadway-Scars on Broadway
On most of the System of a Down recordings, when Daron Malakian sings, you would just prefer that frontman Serj Tankian overpower him. But this straight-up rock album proves that Daron definitely has the balls to be the frontman. While it’s not prolific by any means, it is a damned entertaining listen that you just wanna crank up and headbang to (any real metal fans reading this are probably shaking their heads that this made it and Metallica didn’t). Maybe it’s not the same music System of a Down plays, or maybe it’s not as bizarre as Serj’s solo album Elect the Dead, but this is one fun ride that I will be enjoying again and again.
Notable tracks: “They Say” “World Long Gone” “Babylon”
11. N*E*R*D*-Seeing Sounds
Pharrell is a genre jumper and as the head of N*E*R*D* he is given the chance to really do what he wants to do. The entire album, based on the concept that you can visualize what you’re hearing is very out-there, but there’s some endearing quality that makes it work. Some of Pharrell’s repetitive sounds and samples sound a bit annoying, but as the layers keep adding and your foot starts tapping against your will, you’ll understand the masterwork that Pharrell has created. It’s not a classic, but it is a good testament to what N*E*R*D* is capable of.
Notable tracks: “Spaz” “Love Bomb” “Time For Some Action”


10. The Roots-Rising Down



Just like Common and NaS, The Roots have been hip-hop mainstays who also have delivered quality album after quality album, and unfortunately Rising Down is a bit of a fall from their peak (again, just like Common and NaS). With that out of the way, Rising Down is a fantastically fun album to listen to. It’s very moody, and Black Thought’s rhymes and flow mirror these moods perfectly. Also, there are some great collaborations with some very talented rappers. Mos Def burns it up, rapping the first verse on the album (which kind of bugs me, but it’s still good), Talib Kweli appears on a few tracks doing backup vocals, and then shows up to spit hot fire on “Lost Desire.” And ?uestlove’s musical arrangement can’t go without credit, but just like the entire album, it’s just not quite up to par with the rest of The Roots’ repetoire. And the album has an awesome track of Black Thought freestyling on “@15” which kind of shows just how far the Roots have came.
Notable tracks: “Rising Down” “Lost Desire” “I Can’t Help It”


9. Q-Tip-The Renaissance




Everyone that knows A Tribe Called Quest knows that Q-Tip is one of the most recognizable rappers in the game today. He’s got a voice that is entirely one of a kind, and his rap style is so calm yet biting at the same time. However, once Tribe called it quits for the first time, Tip kind of went off and made these extremely odd albums that no one really knew how to deal with. Who knows what clicked in his head at exactly what point, but The Renaissance is a return to form for the New York MC. It feels like a Tribe album without Phife Dawg if Tribe had evolved with their years. There is something in the way the Tip rhymes that really stands out among the heavier guys like Wayne and among the politically conscious guys like Black Thought and NaS, he fits somewhere in between, making records that you can dance to on the first listen, and then sit back and reflect upon on the second.
Notable tracks: “Gettin’ Up” “You” “Life is Better”


8. Lordi-Deadache



There is something about bands that have no remorse for the fact that they are nothing but cheese that gets to my heart. Lordi is one of those bands. Decked out like the bastard child of KISS and the Hellboy movies, Lordi assume the personas of demons, undead pharaohs, zombies, and more, and somehow maintain their musical abilities. They are not particularly innovative, but that is what makes them so good, they just set out to rock your faces off, and they do it so well. Singer Mr. Lordi’s growling voice never gets tired, and the addition of guitar solos from Egyptian Amen gives the band some musical credibility. And when listening to this album without any video, it gets to the point where you begin to ask, “These guys really dress up like idiots when they play? ‘Cause this music rocks pretty hard.”
Notable tracks: “Bite it Like a Bulldog” “My Monsters Keep Me Company” “Man Skin Boots”


7. Beck-Modern Guilt



Beck has been an alternative mainstay for a very long time, and he is one of the few artists who have never seemed to falter as far as quality is concerned, maybe his last album, The Information, seemed to be more of it’s predecessor Guero, but to say it wasn’t a quality album is a lie. But past albums aside, Modern Guilt is a catchy retro/psychedelic style is something new for the “Loser.” Much of the credit for the instrumentation can be attributed to superstar producer Danger Mouse, who upon meeting Beck, told him that any work on new songs would be scrapped, as the two were going to make Guilt absolutely from scratch. The end result is a very well polished album that sounds great. Maybe it’s not Beck’s best, but it is a new sound for this veteran.
Notable tracks: “Gamma Ray” “Chemtrails” “Modern Guilt”


6. Gnarls Barkley-The Odd Couple



And right after Danger Mouse’s production effort is his musical effort. Alongside rapper/singer Cee-Lo, Danger Mouse has helmed yet another pop masterpiece in the same vein and their extremely successful debut St. Elsewhere. The Odd Couple is different yet similar, like Modern Guilt, much of the album feels a bit retro, but Cee-Lo’s lyrics are just as sharp as they were on St. Elsewhere. If there is one thing that sets Cee-Lo apart from every other vocalist, it’s his undying honesty. He digs so deep into himself to make his music what it is, and the worst (or maybe best) part is that the music that he pours his soul into is oftentimes overly catchy pop tracks like “Charity Case,” the albums bass-heavy kickoff. And while this album may not be as highly regarded as its predecessor, I think given time, it will be given the praise it deserves.
Notable tracks: “Whose Gonna Save My Soul?” “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)” “Charisty Case”

5. Eagles of Death Metal- Heart On



For those unaware, Eagles of Death Metal is the side project of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, and Jesse Hughes. The band started as almost a hokey gimmick, Homme playing drums regardless of his lack of training and Hughes cheesily delivering sex driven lyrics and shaking around in his too tight jeans. On Heart On, the band offers a bit more of the same, and at the same time, changes the path of their career altogether. Homme leaves the kit for most of the album, as the simplistic drums from their prior albums have been replaced by studio session-aires that can hold their own behind the kit. But the cheese factor is definitely still present, I mean the album is called Heart On for gods sake. Hughes and Homme share the mic, with Homme often singing backup to the eccentric voice of Hughes. But regardless of their corniness and cliché ridden songs, there is just some raw fun that emotes from their music that I haven’t quite seen in anything else in the past few years. If Homme keeps making awesome albums like this, I can see him appearing year after year after year.
Notable tracks: “Wannabe in L.A.” “Cheap Thrills” “High Voltage”


4. The Raconteurs-Consolers of the Lonely



If there is one person in music that I believe deserves to be exiled to the land of purgatory, it is that worthless drummer Meg White. She holds back the White Stripes as a band so much that I can’t bear to listen to anything of theirs prior to Icky Thump. However, her ex-husband and modern guitar god Jack White has finally tapped into his songwriting skills with a real band in The Raconteurs. Their debut Broken Boy Soldiers was so catchy and original, that I couldn’t help but get excited for their follow up and Consolers of the Lonely is just as entertaining. If there is one thing that satisfies me in music, it’s when artists I want to see shine go out and make themselves the brightest star in the hard rock forefront. I wish Jack White would ditch Meg altogether and make the Raconteurs his mainstay band.
Notable tracks: “Salute Your Solution” “The Switch and the Spur” “You Don’t Understand Me”

3. The Cool Kids-The Bake Sale (EP)



Now for those unaware, you are probably saying, “How does an EP end up on this list while the great Chinese Democracy is so far down?” but The Cool Kids have pushed the concept of an EP to the very limit. The duo, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inlglish take hip-hop to a place where it hasn’t been for some time, to a place of sheer fun. Take the minimalist beats of Pharrell, the catchy fun rap style of Slick Rick, and the skateboard (well in TCK case it’s BMXing) mentality of Lupe Fiasco, and you have two of the most entertaining rappers alive right now. The EP runs ten tracks and is basically like dangling a hot dog in front of a fat person, it’s a tease. It only runs about half an hour, and afterwards it leaves you going “Aww man that’s it?” and it appears as if that is exactly what The Cool Kids want to do. It is worth listening to for both fans of hip-hop and fans of good times. To say it’s retro is partially true, but the most accurate thing to say would be that it’s retro elements help make it one of the best records of the year.
Notable tracks: “What Up Man?” “Mikey Rocks” “Black Mags”

2. Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend



I’m not a huge fan of this indie music. I mean I dig it, but I’m not gonna go out of my way to get ahold of it. However after hearing the tremendously catchy “A-Punk” I had to get my hands on Vampire Weekend’s debut. Just like The Cool Kids, this album is a bit of a tease, as it’s short run time really leaves the audience wanting more. But if there is one thing that Vampire Weekend does well it has to be their musical arrangement. The four man band seem to layer things perfectly without excessively over tracking. The complimentary guitar and keyboard lines are something that I’ve never really heard in the realm of indie music (but remember that I’m not the biggest indie fan). My biggest hope is that these guys head to the studio soon to make a follow up because I’m anxious for more Vampire Weekend.
Notable tracks: “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” “Oxford Comma” “A-Punk”

1.Atmosphere-When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold



Sort of a dark horse victor, the hip hop duo Atmosphere made by far the most interesting and intricate albums of the year. When Life Gives You Lemons… is an entirely unpredictable and damned entertaining album that sounds like nothing else in hip hop. Rapper Slug writes the most intricate and engaging rhymes I have ever heard. This album plays like a Shyamalan movie, as some tracks have downright twist endings. If that didn’t sink in read it again- a song…having a…twist ending! How is it possible? Take the track “Yesterday,” is Slug talking about an ex girlfriend? An old friend from high school that he hasn’t seen? Oh wait…when the end of the song is reached you go “Oh wow.” And there are other tracks on the album that do the same! The album is catchy, original, and unbelievably honest, which is too rare these days.
Notable tracks: “You” “Shoulda Known” “The Waitress”

So that’s that. Check back soon for more updates!