I read this thing on the Rate Your Music forums asking people to shuffle their iTunes and describe the first 20 songs and see how they define them as music listeners. I like the idea, but since it’s a 6 page thread that no one cares about I’d rather post something like this here, especially since I haven’t posted in a while. So...20 randomly shuffled songs from my iTunes. I’m going to hone down onto my “NO FAIL” playlist which is made of like 600 songs which I would listen to on the train during my NYC commute last year and working with Hofstra Concerts in the office. Yeah 600 songs on a playlist. It used to be called “The Unskippables” but since I end up skipping songs I felt that “NO FAIL” is better, because while I may skip songs, it doesn’t mean they “fail”. So let’s go.
1. Notorious B.I.G.- Machine Gun Funk
Biggie is an obvious rapper to have on ones iTunes, and “Machine Gun Funk” is one of his more well known songs, but it’s not like “Juicy” or “Hypnotize” where it’s gotten to the point where every annoying non-rap fan can spit along with him. This is a raw track, probably my favorite B.I.G. track. I remember one time at work this 35 year old black guy like challenged me when I said I liked B.I.G and put me on the spot to name one of his songs that I liked, and when I said this one he was like "Wow, good call."
2. The Dead Weather- Blue Blood Blues
Over the past year and some change I’ve really grown to love Jack White’s The Dead Weather. The textures and sounds that White and the crew choose to make their sound are pretty crazy. This song in particular kicks pretty hard, the bass has this effect on it where it sounds tougher than any distorted guitar. I mean, it’s not like a life changing song, but it creates this dirty, down south, real sex driven sound. Some people kinda hate on this album for White’s weird lyrics, but I dig ‘em.
3. Van Halen- Hot For Teacher
Don’t have to explain much here. This song has an awesome intro, the guitar tapping is pretty nutty. I remember I brought this song into Jim Clark, my old guitar teacher and said “I want to learn this,” and he was like “No, you want to learn that guitar part in the beginning,” and I was like “Yeah.” But the song is classic. Great song, great album it’s on. One of the best bands of all time.
4. The Doors- Peace Frog
I’ve never been a huge Doors fan, but this song I think is near perfect. The way it layers from drums to guitar to bass to keyboard to Morrison’s vocals is awesome. This song is on my mental list of tracks to cover before I die. Also when Morrison says “Blood on the street in the town of New Haven” I always go “Hey! My dad works in New Haven!’
5. Mos Def- Hip Hop
Oh boy, Black on Both Sides is like a perfect hip-hop album. What I think makes Mos Def great (and better than his Black Star partner Talib Kweli) is his charisma. Like he’s not the best rapper alive lyrically, but the way he delivers his words and adds the layers of himself rapping to add emphasis to what he’s saying. It also says a lot about the state of the game when he put this track out 12 years ago.
6. Black Milk- Give the Drummer Sum
I bought Tronic because people kept saying it was the best hip-hop album of 2008. But I remember I never found it when I went to FYE or indie record stores, and then like 8 months later I saw one copy at Best Buy and snatched it up. I really like the snare drum on the beat of this song, I think it drives Black Milk’s flow. I don’t listen to Black Milk enough.
7. The Who- Squeeze Box
There’s an episode of Freaks and Geeks where Lindsay’s Dad is skeptical about whether or not to let her go to a Who concert and he is listening to “Squeeze Box” with this look of horror on his face. I remember like being familiar with the song, but never really loving it until I saw that episode of Freaks and Geeks, I love the chorus’ vocal harmonies. And Mrs. Weir saying “They’re talking about an accordion!” I mean, they are. And there’s a banjo solo.
8. The Cutoff Frequency- As We Move Along
A few former band mates and a few friends make up this band, but that’s not the reason I have it on this playlist. I really like this song, I think the lyrics are really potent, and I think that anyone can relate to a song like this at some point in time. I also like the vocal harmonies a lot. And this version of the song (off their free LP Back to the Underpass) shows how a band can grow from release to release, even with the same material.
9. Tool- Schism
I’ve never been a huge Tool fan, but I feel like any rock fan under the age of 30 has to dig “Schism”. I remember in marching band one of the guys in my section used to play this guitar line all the time and it got me mad because A) I couldn’t play it and B) he wasn’t playing the marching band music. Also, this song really builds into a pretty heavy groove that rocks really hard.
10. Lily Allen- The Fear
I covered this song last year. It’s an awesome song. I like it because while it is a bitter view of fame and selling yourself, Lily kind of bought into a lot of this stuff between her first and second album. So like the line, “It doesn’t matter as long as I’m getting thinner’ is actually pretty resounding because Lily went from being like an average girl to like a super-hot pop star and this song kind of verifies that maybe it’s not all for personal gain.
11. The Kinks- This Time Tomorrow
One of the many songs I love due to a Wes Anderson movie. I remember learning this song on guitar and just playing it and singing along in my dorm. I really like the piano kind of simply going in the background while the guitar and organs are in the foreground. I also like the imagery here. This song kind of makes me feel like I don’t matter at all, but at the same time I am the man.
12. Guns N’ Roses- My Michelle
Dude. This song makes me want to fight someone. Axl Rose is not a great singer, but he is perfect in this song. He’s just like telling you that all of this terrible things are happening to you. Like when I’m listening to this song I imagine Axl pointing at me and telling me my mom does heroin. And I’m not like “My mom is a nice lady, stop that.” I’m like, “Okay Axl. Yes sir.”
13. Atmosphere- God Loves Ugly
The opening line “I wear my scars like the rings on a pimp” is totally awesome. And it’s just the beginning. The beat on this track is so bare and it has this dark quality to it, where the piano paints this slightly off, somewhat creepy plain in which Slug just weaves lyrics. I can’t recommend Atmosphere enough to people that haven’t given them a listen.
14. Billy Joel- Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
I don’t like Billy Joel at all, but I love this song. And there is one reason. It’s the woodwinds that play in the chorus. Otherwise I’d say enough of this, but I can deal with Joel’s annoying lyrics if it means I get that cool sax line.
15. Chris Brown featuring Swizz Beats and Lil’ Wayne- I Can Transform Ya
This song is just awesome. The beat is awesome. Chris Brown is the worst part. I think this is a real moment in time song. Like everyone was like “Am I allowed to like this song?” and I think that’s why Wayne has two verses, because it’s sort of a pandering track. The easiest way for him to get back into relevance is with Lil’ Wayne. But it’s so damned catchy
16. Raekwon featuring Inpsectach Deck, GZA, Ghostface Killah and Method Man- House of Flying Daggers
From Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...pt 2, this track is like Wu-Tang telling the world that they were still relevant and capable years after entering the game. It’s got that dark beat with the chorus looped in the background and the stringline chugging along. And the video for this song is awesome.
17. Lynrd Skynrd- Gimme Back My Bullets
Jay and Mark Briscoe used to come out to this song. And I remember when I first got really into Ring of Honor I listened to this song like 100 times a day. It’s such a badass, gritty song about southern boys bein’ southern boys. It’s also my ringtone.
18. Lordz of Brooklyn- Saturday Nite Fever
LoB is like an Italian version of House of Pain, which is pretty lame. But this song is cool because the beat is a sample of “American Woman” there is a line where the Everlast wannabe says “This is my pizzeria.” Like this song and this group aren't good by any stretch, but it's catchy.
19. Peter Gabriel- Sledgehammer
Peter Gabriel is a nutcase but this song is pretty incredible. I think the arranging of this is it’s strongest point. Also the tone on the bass is really full and cool. I like the chorus chiming in letting Peter rock around like the middle aged freak he was when he wrote this song. Mike Falzone does a good cover of this song.
20. James A. Johnston- Break The Walls Down
Chris Jericho’s entrance theme is the best entrance song of all time. And I am not ashamed to listen to it. I am ashamed looking at how frequently I listen to it, but not at listening to it. It rocks pretty hard.
That's that. I've been getting some questions about writing about Wrestlemania, so I'll do something for that soon. I've also been SUPER busy on Rate Your Music, doing microreviews a lot, sometimes a few a day. So if you want short music-only stuff catch me over there! Until next time!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
WTF TNA part II
Before I get into this let me just say that Ring of Honor is the best wrestling promotion going today and they are losing their TV deal in April. With that being said...
Total Nonstop Action wrestling is the most upsetting thing in the world. Literally. There is nothing more upsetting to me in the world of wrestling than the current state of TNA. And it’s upsetting for a few reasons, I’ll touch base briefly on a few of them and then go into detail on the more pertinent ones. A little over a year ago Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff “took over” TNA creatively. They took away the trademarked 6 sided ring, inflated the roster with WWE and WCW rejects, and made us all feel like we were in the sinking ship that was WCW 10 years ago. But as the year progressed we had our shares of ups and downs. The ups seemed a bit more logical than the downs, Hogan axed good friends Bubba the Love Sponge and Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags (The Nasty Boys) among others. We also saw the departure of Scott Hall, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, Sean “Val Venis” Morely, Shane Douglas, and a slew of others culminating in the departure of Kevin Nash, a wrestler that many fans and critics wanted out of TNA years before he finally decided to leave. The downs were also present,, but forgivable, an attempted ECW reunion that ended up in a half-assed stable of washed up veterans, losing great talent like Christopher Daniels, Homicide, Awesome Kong, ODB, Consequences Creed, Petey Williams, Sojay Dutt and arguably Sting. So at the end of the day, TNA did beef up their roster with WWE rejects and did push a small handful notably the obvious Jeff Hardy, Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson, and the Fairfield CT native Matt “The Blueprint” Morgan. But they weren’t trashy rejects, they were deserving rejects. But the roster problem is one that has plagued TNA for years, it’s really not the roster, it’s how they use it.
And in 2010 we saw TNA make the strangest and most unnecessary alliances in TNA history. One extremely logical and amazing stable formed was Fortune, headed by the legendary Ric Flair and featuring four TNA breakout stars in AJ Styles, Frankie Kazarian, and Beer Money Inc. Robert Roode and James Storm. The group was phenomenal (pun intended) and then they started adding other guys to beef up the ranks. Morgan was in there for a bit, as was the incredibly underutilized Douglas Williams. They are both good performers, but they don’t need Fortune, and the Fortune certainly didn’t need them. Then....on the overhyped 10-10-10 we saw the tides change. A new stable formed that Hogan and Bischoff thought would be like the nWo, a “cool” group of heels that everyone wanted to like. So who do they make it up with? Hogan, Bischoff, the out of shape and never over enough Abyss, Jeff Hardy, Jeff Jarrett AND the entirety of Fortune? Aside from Hardy, none of this absurd stable, called Immortal, was shocking or cool. And from October to last month the stable ran the place, capturing all of the titles in the process (though losing the heavyweight title to Mr. Anderson in the end). However, during that time Hardy got over as a heel (most notably walking down to the ring puffing a cigarette) and Jarrett reinvigorated his career with his MMA spoofing Double J Double M A tournaments, but the rest of the group kind of floundered. The tag titles were an easy win for Beer Money, the X title in Kazarian’s hands was almost a waste, as the X title has been as of late. TNA’s breakout star AJ Styles had no real push, Abyss won the Legends title (that title still exists?) and we were treated to boring TV. Great. Not a surprise. At all.
So then the Amazing Red’s kayfabe brother Crimson comes in telling tales of another “they” coming. He speaks of a group that will put Immortal in their places and restore peace to TNA. And then Kurt Angle brings in Scott Steiner. And we start seeing hints of the return of the Main Event Mafia. Okay where do you start here? Where does one begin to criticize this? Because Immortal is so stagnant and it’s clear they’re being carried by Flair’s Fortune, they want to bring in a group of wrestlers that was never over that tout a youngest member who is 42 and an oldest member who is 51? The entirety of Fortune is 35 and under (sans the manager of Flair) and most of the members of the rest of Immortal are in feuds. How could a feud be believably booked where a bunch of retirees face a bunch of peak wrestlers who are widely considered some of the best in the game? And why would I waste my time watching a retuning Kevin Nash, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Sting and Kurt Angle wrestle Jeff Jarrett, Jeff Hardy and Abyss AGAIN. Who will the crowd get behind? The talented young guys? The overbooked guys? Or the old veterans? Clearly Fortune was the group to highlight and make babyfaces in this instance...but not according to their plan.
And what is perhaps the best part of this plan on TNA’s side is that after teasing the Mafia return, even putting a video together showing the group, they didn’t sign Sting, Booker and Nash to contracts! So when the WWE beefed up their Royal Rumble to 40 stars and wanted a few guys to get nostalgia pops, who would they go for? Kevin Nash and Booker T. So now TNA has re-signed Scott Steiner, booked a major angle, and then lost it all in the blink of an eye because of bad negotiations. The second that idea popped into their heads they should have had Booker, Nash and Sting in Orlando signing papers to ensure it would happen properly. Instead they assumed that these guys would want to wrestle in front of the rabid and unforgiving Impact Zone crowd for another several months, and then hang up their boots and call it a career. Little did they know that Booker and Nash had greater aspirations. So what does TNA do? After making a hype video for the MEM’s return they literally tell you “Anything is possible” and swerve Fortune to be faces. Great. In fact that is fantastic. That means that AJ Styles will go back to being a main event player and Flair can be the man again without Bischoff and Hogan on his side. But at what cost is this good news? TNA looks completely unprofessional, poorly booked, and entirely unbelievable. I am glad Fortune are the good guys, and I am glad that the members will not have to share the spotlight with Abyss and Jeff Jarrett, but I am completely offended as a viewer and as a one time super fan.
So what does the future hold for this company of fools (on the booking and writing side, not in the ring)? Well they have to do something really good to clean up this huge mistake. Turning Fortune face is a good move. But now that we have Scott Steiner under contract does that mean we have to be subjected to his god awful matches? And are Angle and Steiner part of Fortune now? I don’t know. TNA has unlimited potential and perhaps the best roster in the business but these mistakes they keep making are what is making them lose fans that at one time would do anything for them (myself included, I was on a street team for a little while). It is a common and upsetting question, but once again I find myself asking WTF TNA
Total Nonstop Action wrestling is the most upsetting thing in the world. Literally. There is nothing more upsetting to me in the world of wrestling than the current state of TNA. And it’s upsetting for a few reasons, I’ll touch base briefly on a few of them and then go into detail on the more pertinent ones. A little over a year ago Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff “took over” TNA creatively. They took away the trademarked 6 sided ring, inflated the roster with WWE and WCW rejects, and made us all feel like we were in the sinking ship that was WCW 10 years ago. But as the year progressed we had our shares of ups and downs. The ups seemed a bit more logical than the downs, Hogan axed good friends Bubba the Love Sponge and Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags (The Nasty Boys) among others. We also saw the departure of Scott Hall, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, Sean “Val Venis” Morely, Shane Douglas, and a slew of others culminating in the departure of Kevin Nash, a wrestler that many fans and critics wanted out of TNA years before he finally decided to leave. The downs were also present,, but forgivable, an attempted ECW reunion that ended up in a half-assed stable of washed up veterans, losing great talent like Christopher Daniels, Homicide, Awesome Kong, ODB, Consequences Creed, Petey Williams, Sojay Dutt and arguably Sting. So at the end of the day, TNA did beef up their roster with WWE rejects and did push a small handful notably the obvious Jeff Hardy, Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson, and the Fairfield CT native Matt “The Blueprint” Morgan. But they weren’t trashy rejects, they were deserving rejects. But the roster problem is one that has plagued TNA for years, it’s really not the roster, it’s how they use it.
And in 2010 we saw TNA make the strangest and most unnecessary alliances in TNA history. One extremely logical and amazing stable formed was Fortune, headed by the legendary Ric Flair and featuring four TNA breakout stars in AJ Styles, Frankie Kazarian, and Beer Money Inc. Robert Roode and James Storm. The group was phenomenal (pun intended) and then they started adding other guys to beef up the ranks. Morgan was in there for a bit, as was the incredibly underutilized Douglas Williams. They are both good performers, but they don’t need Fortune, and the Fortune certainly didn’t need them. Then....on the overhyped 10-10-10 we saw the tides change. A new stable formed that Hogan and Bischoff thought would be like the nWo, a “cool” group of heels that everyone wanted to like. So who do they make it up with? Hogan, Bischoff, the out of shape and never over enough Abyss, Jeff Hardy, Jeff Jarrett AND the entirety of Fortune? Aside from Hardy, none of this absurd stable, called Immortal, was shocking or cool. And from October to last month the stable ran the place, capturing all of the titles in the process (though losing the heavyweight title to Mr. Anderson in the end). However, during that time Hardy got over as a heel (most notably walking down to the ring puffing a cigarette) and Jarrett reinvigorated his career with his MMA spoofing Double J Double M A tournaments, but the rest of the group kind of floundered. The tag titles were an easy win for Beer Money, the X title in Kazarian’s hands was almost a waste, as the X title has been as of late. TNA’s breakout star AJ Styles had no real push, Abyss won the Legends title (that title still exists?) and we were treated to boring TV. Great. Not a surprise. At all.
So then the Amazing Red’s kayfabe brother Crimson comes in telling tales of another “they” coming. He speaks of a group that will put Immortal in their places and restore peace to TNA. And then Kurt Angle brings in Scott Steiner. And we start seeing hints of the return of the Main Event Mafia. Okay where do you start here? Where does one begin to criticize this? Because Immortal is so stagnant and it’s clear they’re being carried by Flair’s Fortune, they want to bring in a group of wrestlers that was never over that tout a youngest member who is 42 and an oldest member who is 51? The entirety of Fortune is 35 and under (sans the manager of Flair) and most of the members of the rest of Immortal are in feuds. How could a feud be believably booked where a bunch of retirees face a bunch of peak wrestlers who are widely considered some of the best in the game? And why would I waste my time watching a retuning Kevin Nash, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Sting and Kurt Angle wrestle Jeff Jarrett, Jeff Hardy and Abyss AGAIN. Who will the crowd get behind? The talented young guys? The overbooked guys? Or the old veterans? Clearly Fortune was the group to highlight and make babyfaces in this instance...but not according to their plan.
And what is perhaps the best part of this plan on TNA’s side is that after teasing the Mafia return, even putting a video together showing the group, they didn’t sign Sting, Booker and Nash to contracts! So when the WWE beefed up their Royal Rumble to 40 stars and wanted a few guys to get nostalgia pops, who would they go for? Kevin Nash and Booker T. So now TNA has re-signed Scott Steiner, booked a major angle, and then lost it all in the blink of an eye because of bad negotiations. The second that idea popped into their heads they should have had Booker, Nash and Sting in Orlando signing papers to ensure it would happen properly. Instead they assumed that these guys would want to wrestle in front of the rabid and unforgiving Impact Zone crowd for another several months, and then hang up their boots and call it a career. Little did they know that Booker and Nash had greater aspirations. So what does TNA do? After making a hype video for the MEM’s return they literally tell you “Anything is possible” and swerve Fortune to be faces. Great. In fact that is fantastic. That means that AJ Styles will go back to being a main event player and Flair can be the man again without Bischoff and Hogan on his side. But at what cost is this good news? TNA looks completely unprofessional, poorly booked, and entirely unbelievable. I am glad Fortune are the good guys, and I am glad that the members will not have to share the spotlight with Abyss and Jeff Jarrett, but I am completely offended as a viewer and as a one time super fan.
So what does the future hold for this company of fools (on the booking and writing side, not in the ring)? Well they have to do something really good to clean up this huge mistake. Turning Fortune face is a good move. But now that we have Scott Steiner under contract does that mean we have to be subjected to his god awful matches? And are Angle and Steiner part of Fortune now? I don’t know. TNA has unlimited potential and perhaps the best roster in the business but these mistakes they keep making are what is making them lose fans that at one time would do anything for them (myself included, I was on a street team for a little while). It is a common and upsetting question, but once again I find myself asking WTF TNA
Monday, January 10, 2011
Best of 2010: Albums #10-1
Ladies and gentlemen...here it is...very late, as per the trend on this blog...but the top 10 albums of 2010 are here! Let's go!
10. OK Go- Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
OK Go is one of those bands that I wasn’t really sure that I would enjoy. I knew about the treadmills and loved the mousetrap-like video for “This Too Shall Pass” but whenever I’d ask for advice on whether or not they were good beyond their videos, it seemed that none of my friends has actually listened to them, even the hip Long Island friends! So, thanks to the magic of the internet, I acquired Of the Blue Colour of the Sky knowing that I enjoyed “This Too Shall Pass” and hoping that the rest would at least be listenable. And it is a privilege to say that the rest of this album is really listenable. The band definitely meshes together very well, and as an audio junkie, it’s awesome to be able to say that the album is mixed really well. And it’s not just the sound of the record, the songwriting is top notch too, frontman Damian Kulash Jr. has a firm grip on how to craft a catchy, fun pop-rock song. In the age where the music video is dying, it’s great to see a band make such bold videos that compliment equally bold pop rock music. I may have to go listen to their back catalogue now.
Notable Tracks: “WTF?” “I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe” “End Love”
9. B.o.B- B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
I think B.o.B is one of, if not the breakout star of 2010. While I’d heard him a lot during the summer of ‘09 with his song “I’ll Be In The Sky” he seemingly disappeared without making much of a mark by the end of the year. But, The Adventures of Bobby Ray came out only a few months later, and made him a certified music superstar. Having three huge crossover hits with huge crossover collaborators (Bruno Mars, Hayley Williams and Rivers Cuomo) took B.o.B from having that one song that you heard on hip hop radio stations to having all of those songs that people quote on their Facebook statuses. And what I love about B.o.B is that he does it all well. It’s pretty clear that he’s the creative genius behind this album, whereas many rappers get handed beats and spit over them, Bobby Ray is undoubtedly steering the ship that is his musical career. And while he’s not the next Eminem or Jay-Z lyrically, his presence is a lot of fun, and he knows how to deliver catchy songs without making his audience feel like they’re being degraded (I.E. Soulja Boy, New Boyz, and my favorite V.I.C.). And while Mars, Williams and Cuomo appear on his radio friendly hits he has the guts to bring on performers that don’t get frequent radio play like Janelle Monae and Lupe Fiasco to help make some good tunes as well. If this list was based purely on mic skills and things that make classic hip-hop albums classic, this would certainly not be here, but to say that this album is not entertaining and absurdly catchy is a lie. And when an artist does that well without screaming “YOU!” a million times on his track, that deserves applause.
Notable Tracks: “Nothin’ on You” “Past My Shades” “Fame”
8. Elvis Costello- National Ransom
I’ve always liked Elvis Costello, but I’ve never really taken the time to listen to anything other than his epic two disc greatest hits album. So when I saw he had a new album out, I decided to actually give it a spin front to back. And it’s great. One of the most consistent albums of the year without question. Costello is an entirely unique entity in the rock and roll world, both historically and at the moment. While too many rock stars fade into the past making music that sounds like its in the wrong decade, or even going as far as to re-record classic hits, Costello makes tunes that sound fresh yet still retain his trademarked sound. Is this an album that re-defines the aging rock star? No, but it shows that you don’t have to sell out to keep the train going. KISS and AC/DC could learn something from Mr. Costello.
Notable Tracks: “A Slow Drag With Josephine” “Dr. Watson, I Presume” “My Jezibel”
7. LCD Soundsystem- This is Happening
I was in the front seat of my buddies car when he put on “Dance Yrself Clean” the first track on This is Happening, and I just had to listen in awe to the audio bliss that it is. The song just builds and builds and builds to the point where you’re almost done expecting a payoff, sort of like Coldplay’s eternal classic “Viva La Vida” but NO! It kicks, and when it does, my brain just imploded and I had to listen to the rest of the album. And what’s great is that the other songs are just as funky and catchy as track 1. I don’t really know any of LCD Soundsystem’s other albums, nor do I really know much about the dance genre in general, but nonetheless I was super satisfied by this album overall. Not too many albums can be so catchy and still have decent lyrics, especially in a genre like this. So hats off to the Soundsystem, good work gentlemen.
Notable Tracks: “Dance Yrself Clean” “Drunk Girls” “Pow Pow”
6. Wale- More About Nothing
Last year Wale released his major label debut Attention Deficit, which got decent reviews, but was a tame, toned down version of the Wale the world got to know through his mixtapes, the most well known of which was 2008’s The Mixtape About Nothing, which quirkily combined serious issues with sound clips from the TV show Seinfeld. When I heard Wale had released a sequel mixtape, aptly titled More About Nothing, I was torn. Having heard Wale lose his lyrical edge on Attention Deficit made me question whether or not it was worth my time, but thinking it could half as good as the original Mixtape About Nothing, I felt it was my duty to at least give Wale the 70 minutes of my time. And what this piece of work does is show that maybe Wale isn’t a major label kind of guy. While so many signed rappers use mixtapes as a way to bide time between albums, Wale actually says a whole lot on More About Nothing, even making mention that he wasn’t proud of Attention Deficit and the way he was treated by the folks at Interscope. At the core of this mixtape is Wale’s incredibly sharp eye for what to say and when to say it, that eye being the missing link on Attention Deficit, where studio executives placed him next to Lady Gaga instead of any serious political and social issues. So where other rappers would use this format to simply keep fans happy, Wale delivers a socially potent album that once again brings in Seinfeld lines to make light of some of the things he talks about. If the folks at Interscope know how to cultivate Wale into a mainstream artist that can say the things he says the way he says them on More About Nothing, he can become an unstoppable force in hip hop, but if they keep him on a short leash, mixtapes may be his only outlet to truly be himself.
Notable Tracks: “The Soup” “The Eyes of the Tiger” “The Work Workin”
5. Vampire Weekend- Contra
After their 2008 self titled debut, Vampire Weekend took absurdly catchy indie rock to a new level that alienated the hipster folks that helped them gain the attention that made them famous. After touring for a while and gaining a nice mainstream following they released Contra in early 2010, and the album certainly packs the same punch as its predecessor in many ways. The guitars aren’t heavily distorted, the subject matter is similar lyrically, and the music is still for the most part a lot of fun. What’s different this time around is the scope of it all. While on the debut Vampire Weekend is sort of a straightforward guitar, bass, drums, sometimes keyboards, vocals kind of band, on Contra they rely more heavily on the keys, as well as some samples, which in my opinion brings the band down. On the song “Diplomat’s Son” there is a just barely recognizable sample of M.I.A. in the background, which made me scratch my chin and say “Is this necessary?” but for their few missteps the band also charges forward musically. Songs like “Cousins” would fit perfectly on the debut, which is good, but increasing the keyboard presence gives us the poppy “Holiday” and tracks like “Run” and “Giving Up The Gun”. It’s pretty clear that this band knows what they’re trying to do and while there are a few more missteps on this album than on their debut, the goods far outweigh the bads on Contra and it is certainly worth any rock fans time.
Notable Tracks: “Cousins” “Run” “Giving Up The Gun”
4. The Dillinger Escape Plan- Option Paralysis
When presented with The Dillinger Escape Plan a few months ago, I was really perplexed. What on earth was mathcore and why should it be worth my time? However, after listening to their 2007 album Ire Works and their Mike Patton collabo-EP Irony is a Dead Scene I found myself unable to not go out of my way to listen to them. I don’t really like modern metal music for a lot of reasons, but Dillinger just hooks me in. Where a band like the Mars Volta just do things in excess for no apparent reason, everything in the Dillinger Escape Plan has a purpose musically, especially on Option Paralysis. While the vocals may be a bit tedious and obnoxious for those who dislike metal, any musician can appreciate the structures of each song and the musicality of each performer. It’s chaotic and schizophrenic, but it all fits like a glove. While I can guarantee most people reading this would not enjoy listening to the Dillinger Escape Plan, for those that enjoy loud, energetic, and best of all, musical tunes, check out Option Paralysis, it will blow your mind and probably your headphones too,
Notable Tracks: “Gold Teeth on a Bum” “Widower” “Parasitic Twins”
3. Gorillaz- Plastic Beach
In my initial review of this album (link here: ) I said I was upset that the mystique of the cartoon characters that made up Gorillaz was gone and that the music was sub-par in comparison to Demon Days. However, as each day passed and I found myself walking the halls of Hofstra, the streets/subways of New York City, and driving around suburban Connecticut, Plastic Beach always seemed to call my name. It is corny and sometimes the guest spots are a tad too mainstream or off-kilter for their own good, but it’s a perfect summer pop album. And this perfection is attained by one thing, the keyboard lines. While not to say the rest of the music lacks, in fact the rest of the music is above par, it’s just the synth lines are perfect. “Rhinestone Eyes” and “Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach” go from cheesy to incredible thanks to these simple synthesizer chords, and they highlight the great songs on this album too, adding depth to more straightforward hip-hop songs like “Superfast Jellyfish”. While I still stand that it’s not as good as Demon Days, after being drawn to this album time and time again, I can’t deny that it is a fantastically fun, and perfect for those sunny days.
Notable Tracks: “Superfast Jellyfish” “Plastic Beach” “White Flag”
2. Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
What is there to say about this album that hasn’t been said already? It’s a work of art. It’s an album that from top to bottom does everything it sets out to do perfectly, never once failing. I remember after buying Graduation, I knew the words to every song within a week, and I said to myself that that’s how I would gauge the greatness of MBDTF. And sure enough, within days I was humming along and rapping through every song with Kanye and his guest list of greats like Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Kid Cudi, John Legend, the RZA, and too many others to count. The one thing keeping this song out of the number one position is the fact that the songs run on a bit too long. I find myself prone to skip tracks after it hits the 4 minute mark. But as an album, MBDTF is incredible top to bottom, it just seems that some songs run on a bit out of the context of this work of art. Is this Kanye’s best album to date? Yes. Can he make a better album following this? I hope.
Notable Tracks: “Dark Fantasy” “So Appalled” “Runaway”
1. Big Boi- Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty
After an undeniably catchy introduction that lasts less than a minute, Big Boi’s first words on Sir Lucious Leftfoot sum things up perfectly, as he says “Damn, and that wasn’t nothin’ but the intro.” The brief and casual show of confidence in his work throw this rollercoaster of an album off the track incredibly well. From top to bottom this an awesomely fun and well put together album. Does it tackle the social issues of The Mixtape About Nothing or does it boast a massive guestlist and grand instrumentals like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy? No. But what it does do is deliver infectious song after infectious song with no remorse. Whether he’s rapping about banging girls or kicking someone’s ass, Big Boi always manages to make himself look great, and not just in his lyrics alone, but in his style and presence. While fellow Outkast member Andre 3000 always had an out-of-this-world appeal, Big Boi kept himself rooted in the southern hip-hop landscape that helped make him the star he was in his early career. While not to say that he hasn’t progressed musically, his sound is a bit more ambitious than it was in his Outkast days, he’s not going off the rails quite as much as Andre has been (there’s no cartoon for children that Big Boi is producing, at least not to my knowledge). In this day and age where everything is overanalyzed and hypercriticized, Sir Lucious Leftfoot is an album that indulges in the things that please our ears, catchy beats, simple yet well put together lyrics, and just the notion that we all want to have a damn good time. We should revel in this album, because artists that are still down to have this much fun without being ironic and obnoxious are getting to be hard to find.
Notable Tracks: “Turns Me On” “Shutterbug” “Tangerine”
That's it! Post some comments. I'm going to be posting a little ditty about misc. favorites of 2010 like Wrestler of the Year, Movie of the Year, Song of the Year, color of the year. I don't know what else I can do! CRAZY!
10. OK Go- Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
OK Go is one of those bands that I wasn’t really sure that I would enjoy. I knew about the treadmills and loved the mousetrap-like video for “This Too Shall Pass” but whenever I’d ask for advice on whether or not they were good beyond their videos, it seemed that none of my friends has actually listened to them, even the hip Long Island friends! So, thanks to the magic of the internet, I acquired Of the Blue Colour of the Sky knowing that I enjoyed “This Too Shall Pass” and hoping that the rest would at least be listenable. And it is a privilege to say that the rest of this album is really listenable. The band definitely meshes together very well, and as an audio junkie, it’s awesome to be able to say that the album is mixed really well. And it’s not just the sound of the record, the songwriting is top notch too, frontman Damian Kulash Jr. has a firm grip on how to craft a catchy, fun pop-rock song. In the age where the music video is dying, it’s great to see a band make such bold videos that compliment equally bold pop rock music. I may have to go listen to their back catalogue now.
Notable Tracks: “WTF?” “I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe” “End Love”
9. B.o.B- B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
I think B.o.B is one of, if not the breakout star of 2010. While I’d heard him a lot during the summer of ‘09 with his song “I’ll Be In The Sky” he seemingly disappeared without making much of a mark by the end of the year. But, The Adventures of Bobby Ray came out only a few months later, and made him a certified music superstar. Having three huge crossover hits with huge crossover collaborators (Bruno Mars, Hayley Williams and Rivers Cuomo) took B.o.B from having that one song that you heard on hip hop radio stations to having all of those songs that people quote on their Facebook statuses. And what I love about B.o.B is that he does it all well. It’s pretty clear that he’s the creative genius behind this album, whereas many rappers get handed beats and spit over them, Bobby Ray is undoubtedly steering the ship that is his musical career. And while he’s not the next Eminem or Jay-Z lyrically, his presence is a lot of fun, and he knows how to deliver catchy songs without making his audience feel like they’re being degraded (I.E. Soulja Boy, New Boyz, and my favorite V.I.C.). And while Mars, Williams and Cuomo appear on his radio friendly hits he has the guts to bring on performers that don’t get frequent radio play like Janelle Monae and Lupe Fiasco to help make some good tunes as well. If this list was based purely on mic skills and things that make classic hip-hop albums classic, this would certainly not be here, but to say that this album is not entertaining and absurdly catchy is a lie. And when an artist does that well without screaming “YOU!” a million times on his track, that deserves applause.
Notable Tracks: “Nothin’ on You” “Past My Shades” “Fame”
8. Elvis Costello- National Ransom
I’ve always liked Elvis Costello, but I’ve never really taken the time to listen to anything other than his epic two disc greatest hits album. So when I saw he had a new album out, I decided to actually give it a spin front to back. And it’s great. One of the most consistent albums of the year without question. Costello is an entirely unique entity in the rock and roll world, both historically and at the moment. While too many rock stars fade into the past making music that sounds like its in the wrong decade, or even going as far as to re-record classic hits, Costello makes tunes that sound fresh yet still retain his trademarked sound. Is this an album that re-defines the aging rock star? No, but it shows that you don’t have to sell out to keep the train going. KISS and AC/DC could learn something from Mr. Costello.
Notable Tracks: “A Slow Drag With Josephine” “Dr. Watson, I Presume” “My Jezibel”
7. LCD Soundsystem- This is Happening
I was in the front seat of my buddies car when he put on “Dance Yrself Clean” the first track on This is Happening, and I just had to listen in awe to the audio bliss that it is. The song just builds and builds and builds to the point where you’re almost done expecting a payoff, sort of like Coldplay’s eternal classic “Viva La Vida” but NO! It kicks, and when it does, my brain just imploded and I had to listen to the rest of the album. And what’s great is that the other songs are just as funky and catchy as track 1. I don’t really know any of LCD Soundsystem’s other albums, nor do I really know much about the dance genre in general, but nonetheless I was super satisfied by this album overall. Not too many albums can be so catchy and still have decent lyrics, especially in a genre like this. So hats off to the Soundsystem, good work gentlemen.
Notable Tracks: “Dance Yrself Clean” “Drunk Girls” “Pow Pow”
6. Wale- More About Nothing
Last year Wale released his major label debut Attention Deficit, which got decent reviews, but was a tame, toned down version of the Wale the world got to know through his mixtapes, the most well known of which was 2008’s The Mixtape About Nothing, which quirkily combined serious issues with sound clips from the TV show Seinfeld. When I heard Wale had released a sequel mixtape, aptly titled More About Nothing, I was torn. Having heard Wale lose his lyrical edge on Attention Deficit made me question whether or not it was worth my time, but thinking it could half as good as the original Mixtape About Nothing, I felt it was my duty to at least give Wale the 70 minutes of my time. And what this piece of work does is show that maybe Wale isn’t a major label kind of guy. While so many signed rappers use mixtapes as a way to bide time between albums, Wale actually says a whole lot on More About Nothing, even making mention that he wasn’t proud of Attention Deficit and the way he was treated by the folks at Interscope. At the core of this mixtape is Wale’s incredibly sharp eye for what to say and when to say it, that eye being the missing link on Attention Deficit, where studio executives placed him next to Lady Gaga instead of any serious political and social issues. So where other rappers would use this format to simply keep fans happy, Wale delivers a socially potent album that once again brings in Seinfeld lines to make light of some of the things he talks about. If the folks at Interscope know how to cultivate Wale into a mainstream artist that can say the things he says the way he says them on More About Nothing, he can become an unstoppable force in hip hop, but if they keep him on a short leash, mixtapes may be his only outlet to truly be himself.
Notable Tracks: “The Soup” “The Eyes of the Tiger” “The Work Workin”
5. Vampire Weekend- Contra
After their 2008 self titled debut, Vampire Weekend took absurdly catchy indie rock to a new level that alienated the hipster folks that helped them gain the attention that made them famous. After touring for a while and gaining a nice mainstream following they released Contra in early 2010, and the album certainly packs the same punch as its predecessor in many ways. The guitars aren’t heavily distorted, the subject matter is similar lyrically, and the music is still for the most part a lot of fun. What’s different this time around is the scope of it all. While on the debut Vampire Weekend is sort of a straightforward guitar, bass, drums, sometimes keyboards, vocals kind of band, on Contra they rely more heavily on the keys, as well as some samples, which in my opinion brings the band down. On the song “Diplomat’s Son” there is a just barely recognizable sample of M.I.A. in the background, which made me scratch my chin and say “Is this necessary?” but for their few missteps the band also charges forward musically. Songs like “Cousins” would fit perfectly on the debut, which is good, but increasing the keyboard presence gives us the poppy “Holiday” and tracks like “Run” and “Giving Up The Gun”. It’s pretty clear that this band knows what they’re trying to do and while there are a few more missteps on this album than on their debut, the goods far outweigh the bads on Contra and it is certainly worth any rock fans time.
Notable Tracks: “Cousins” “Run” “Giving Up The Gun”
4. The Dillinger Escape Plan- Option Paralysis
When presented with The Dillinger Escape Plan a few months ago, I was really perplexed. What on earth was mathcore and why should it be worth my time? However, after listening to their 2007 album Ire Works and their Mike Patton collabo-EP Irony is a Dead Scene I found myself unable to not go out of my way to listen to them. I don’t really like modern metal music for a lot of reasons, but Dillinger just hooks me in. Where a band like the Mars Volta just do things in excess for no apparent reason, everything in the Dillinger Escape Plan has a purpose musically, especially on Option Paralysis. While the vocals may be a bit tedious and obnoxious for those who dislike metal, any musician can appreciate the structures of each song and the musicality of each performer. It’s chaotic and schizophrenic, but it all fits like a glove. While I can guarantee most people reading this would not enjoy listening to the Dillinger Escape Plan, for those that enjoy loud, energetic, and best of all, musical tunes, check out Option Paralysis, it will blow your mind and probably your headphones too,
Notable Tracks: “Gold Teeth on a Bum” “Widower” “Parasitic Twins”
3. Gorillaz- Plastic Beach
In my initial review of this album (link here: ) I said I was upset that the mystique of the cartoon characters that made up Gorillaz was gone and that the music was sub-par in comparison to Demon Days. However, as each day passed and I found myself walking the halls of Hofstra, the streets/subways of New York City, and driving around suburban Connecticut, Plastic Beach always seemed to call my name. It is corny and sometimes the guest spots are a tad too mainstream or off-kilter for their own good, but it’s a perfect summer pop album. And this perfection is attained by one thing, the keyboard lines. While not to say the rest of the music lacks, in fact the rest of the music is above par, it’s just the synth lines are perfect. “Rhinestone Eyes” and “Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach” go from cheesy to incredible thanks to these simple synthesizer chords, and they highlight the great songs on this album too, adding depth to more straightforward hip-hop songs like “Superfast Jellyfish”. While I still stand that it’s not as good as Demon Days, after being drawn to this album time and time again, I can’t deny that it is a fantastically fun, and perfect for those sunny days.
Notable Tracks: “Superfast Jellyfish” “Plastic Beach” “White Flag”
2. Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
What is there to say about this album that hasn’t been said already? It’s a work of art. It’s an album that from top to bottom does everything it sets out to do perfectly, never once failing. I remember after buying Graduation, I knew the words to every song within a week, and I said to myself that that’s how I would gauge the greatness of MBDTF. And sure enough, within days I was humming along and rapping through every song with Kanye and his guest list of greats like Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Kid Cudi, John Legend, the RZA, and too many others to count. The one thing keeping this song out of the number one position is the fact that the songs run on a bit too long. I find myself prone to skip tracks after it hits the 4 minute mark. But as an album, MBDTF is incredible top to bottom, it just seems that some songs run on a bit out of the context of this work of art. Is this Kanye’s best album to date? Yes. Can he make a better album following this? I hope.
Notable Tracks: “Dark Fantasy” “So Appalled” “Runaway”
1. Big Boi- Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty
After an undeniably catchy introduction that lasts less than a minute, Big Boi’s first words on Sir Lucious Leftfoot sum things up perfectly, as he says “Damn, and that wasn’t nothin’ but the intro.” The brief and casual show of confidence in his work throw this rollercoaster of an album off the track incredibly well. From top to bottom this an awesomely fun and well put together album. Does it tackle the social issues of The Mixtape About Nothing or does it boast a massive guestlist and grand instrumentals like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy? No. But what it does do is deliver infectious song after infectious song with no remorse. Whether he’s rapping about banging girls or kicking someone’s ass, Big Boi always manages to make himself look great, and not just in his lyrics alone, but in his style and presence. While fellow Outkast member Andre 3000 always had an out-of-this-world appeal, Big Boi kept himself rooted in the southern hip-hop landscape that helped make him the star he was in his early career. While not to say that he hasn’t progressed musically, his sound is a bit more ambitious than it was in his Outkast days, he’s not going off the rails quite as much as Andre has been (there’s no cartoon for children that Big Boi is producing, at least not to my knowledge). In this day and age where everything is overanalyzed and hypercriticized, Sir Lucious Leftfoot is an album that indulges in the things that please our ears, catchy beats, simple yet well put together lyrics, and just the notion that we all want to have a damn good time. We should revel in this album, because artists that are still down to have this much fun without being ironic and obnoxious are getting to be hard to find.
Notable Tracks: “Turns Me On” “Shutterbug” “Tangerine”
That's it! Post some comments. I'm going to be posting a little ditty about misc. favorites of 2010 like Wrestler of the Year, Movie of the Year, Song of the Year, color of the year. I don't know what else I can do! CRAZY!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Best of 2010: Albums #20-11
Okay ladies and gentlemen, here is the first 10 entries in my top 20 of the year! Hope you enjoy!
20. Rob Zombie-Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool
When I was in sixth grade I used to listen to the tracks “Meet the Creeper”, “Dragula” and “Superbeast” several times a day. Then in high school I bought the first Hellbilly Deluxe at one of FYE’s several “Buy 3 get 1 free!” sales and surprisingly enjoyed it beyond a nostalgia level. A few weeks ago, after listening to Rick Ross’s Teflon Don, iTunes automatically put on what was next in the playlist, Rob Zombie’s Hellbilly Deluxe 2. I had every intent to change it, but as soon as it started I felt like that sixth grader walking home from elementary school with my Walkman on full blast. Without as much of an “ehhh” I made it through the entire album and enjoyed myself. While HB2 is not a piece of timeless art, it’s fun, and it’s retro (weird thinking that sounding like a ’98 album is retro) and it never really takes itself too seriously. Not to mention psychobilly prodigy John 5 brings his country flavor to the music, adding a quirky new dimension. For those that publicly or privately enjoy the Zombie in all of his glory, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is an album for you. If you don’t enjoy the Zombie…then get out of here!
Notable Tracks: “Jesus Frankenstein” “The Man Who Laughs”
19. Devo- Something for Everybody
Aging geeks. That is exactly what Devo are. And on Something for Everybody they make it abundantly clear. While many bands try to retain their heavy credibility into old age (see KISS) or try to turn their music to prove that they have become wise in their years (see Johnny Cash) Devo are the same guys, just 20 years older than the last time we heard something new from them. This album sounds as if they wrote it in the 80’s and re-mastered it now, tweaking some lyrics to be more relevant to today’s audience. The Mothersbaugh’s, the Castle’s and drum god Josh Freese are really in tune to what made Devo great in the day, and allowing fans to pick what songs were on the album certainly made it Something for Everybody. Not the bands best work (I mean, they peaked in the 70’s) but a fun album that knows just how corny it is. If there was only a young band like Devo today.
Notable Tracks: “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” "Please Baby Please" "Step Up"
18. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.- Record Collection
Record Collection is an album that has me scratching my head every time I listen to it, thinking “Is this really all that good?” I think the fact that it has me so intrigued listen after listen means that Mark and the crew are doing something right. The first two tracks wham off collaborations with hip-hop vets Q-Tip and Ghostface Killah over catchy synthy beats. It’s different than the Dap Kings influenced Version, in a sense that every song is not arranged in the same fashion. And as it keeps going the guest spots get more and more strange, creating quite the interesting vibe. Boy George, Spank Rock, and the London Gay Men’s Chorus all contribute interesting and odd parts to snappy fun tracks, making the listen not only fun but fascinating. I still prefer Version, and the complete wackiness of Here Comes the Fuzz even, but Record Collection is a nice showing that proves that Ronson doesn’t have a formula to fit into.
Notable Tracks: “The Bike Song” “Introducing the Business” “Bang Bang Bang”
17. Weezer- Hurley
Here it is. Soak it up ladies and gentlemen. Weezer has returned. After three consecutive flops and a departure from Geffen, it seemed as though Weezer had 2 options. One was continue making watered down pop rock under an independent record label, and the other was take some time to record a good album that makes people remember why they love Weezer. What they did falls somewhere in the middle. A year after the laughably bad Raditude, Hurley shows a band that may have been held back by the people at Geffen, but also a band that knows how to make fun pop rock. What was lost between the heavy Maladroit and Hurley? Who knows, but there’s no denying that while it’s not classic, it is certainly a FUN POP ROCK album. The bands critics keep saying they’re never going to be as good as Blue Album or Pinkerton, and my response to that is WHO CARES?! Can’t we just enjoy what they’re making? I thoroughly enjoy this new sound, do I like it better than Blue and Pink? No! But I like it! Rivers may have lost his mind with some of his lyrics (“B.o.B is dying to hang out!”) but he can still make a song that gets stuck in your head for days, and that’s a skill that not many rockers have in this day and age.
Notable Tracks: “Memories” “Trainwrecks” “Smart Girls”
16. Infant Sorrow-Get Him To The Greek
The soundtrack to the same named film, the fictional band fronted by off the wagon rock star Aldous Snow does exactly what the film needs it to do, rock. In the beginning of the film, Jonah Hill’s Aaron Green laments that Snow is the last remaining true rock star, and that perhaps the world needs people like him, and the songs on this soundtrack certainly prove that. They are funny and quirky in their lyrical content, but at the end of the day the just straight up rock. What’s the formula to the greatness of these songs? Is it the mix of having actual rock stars like Jarvis Cocker write music and have comedians like Jason Segel and Judd Apatow write lyrics? Maybe. But the point is that in a generation where all of our comedy music comes from geeky self aware comic groups like Tenacious D and Flight of the Conchords (no offense meant to either group) it’s great to see a Spinal Tap-esque fictional band that can not only make you laugh, but make you bang your head and tap your foot.
Notable Tracks: “Furry Walls” “The Clap” “Bangers, Beans and Mash”
15. The Roots- Hot I Got Over
I was not excited for this album. The constant delays, the shameless self promotion that it was “classic” by Questlove, and the fact that the Jimmy Fallon gig may have taken a toll on the bands songwriting skills, really had my thinking this was going to flop, especially following the star-studded and over the top Rising Down, but this album did deliver in an odd and satisfying way. It’s not the same Roots we’ve heard before, it’s a more driven, rock based sound, and it knows how to entertain. While Blackthought may not be spitting his most politically relevant lyrics, nor is Questlove pushing the band to their musical limits, this album is for once positive in its content and fun in its presentation. With such a vast discography, and a changing of the guard from the god of bass Hub to white boy Owen Biddle, it’s no surprise this isn’t their best work, but it shows that they still have plenty of potential to grow even more than they have over the years.
Notable Tracks: “Dear God 2.0” “How I Got Over” “The Fire”
14. Eminem-Recovery
There are a few artists that are so iconic, that you can’t help but root for through thick and thin. Eminem is one of those guys. Defying the odds and transcending race he became the voice of our generation and made all of us cringe and make sure our parents weren’t in the room when his music videos came on TV. But after the disappointments in Encore and Relapse, there was doubt that Slim Shady would return to true form, but Recovery showed that there is still life in the aging Detroit rapper. This isn’t the same, constantly angry at the world Eminem, this is a grown up who has more life experience than 90% of the rap community. And while he may not be as on point as he was in the past, he can still make rhymes and use his unique and intense flow to command respect. Is this as good as the Slim Shady or Marshall Mathers LP’s? No. But we have an album that never quite hits the lows that his prior two have, and we have a new sort of insight. He can still reference obscene things, but at the same time he can go and preach in songs like “Not Afraid” and it doesn’t seem awkward. I enjoy this album a lot, and if Em can hone his skills even more on his next album, he may have another classic in him.
Notable Tracks: “Cold Wind Blows” “On Fire” “Won’t Back Down”
13. The Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
In his third consecutive year on the list, Jack White’s The Dead Weather put out another great album. The thing about Jack White is that while all of his music is good and entertaining, it seems as if he’s coasting by putting albums out so fast. And that amazes me. Released a year after their debut Horehound, Sea of Cowards packs the same bluesy, hard edged punch that the bands debut had, and it took less than a year to write and record! That’s incredible. This album starts off hard and effective with “Blue Blood Blues” and more or less keeps rocking until it ends. It’s punchiness musically can be handed to bassist Jack Lawrence and the man himself White behind the drum kit, and the vocals of White and Allison Mosshart just fit perfectly in the sleazy blues of the bands music. Jack White seems to be defying the odds in terms of his track record as of the past few years, and after Sea of Cowards I have high hopes for what is next.
Notable Tracks: “Blue Blood Blues” “Hustle and Cuss” “Gasoline”
12. DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill-Kill Devil Hills
The third album in Cypress Hill DJ Muggs’ “vs.” series sees the California native team up with Brooklyn’s Ill Bill of Non Phixion and La Coka Nostra. The end result is a very nice dose of hardcore hip hop in a time where the hardest rapper on the radio used to be a corrections officer. Bill has a killer delivery and Muggs crafts great beats that both have a vintage vibe, while still hitting hard. Not to mention the guest spots are pretty good. The obvious Cypress Hill and Coka Nostra ones coming from B-Real, Slaine and Everlast, and surprises from Raekwon and Jedi Mind Tricks’ Vinny Paz help break up Bill’s talents. I like the continuity from Bill’s verses on La Coka Nostra’s A Brand You Can Trust to this album, still talking about how fat America is and his own difficult life, while peppering in political themes with government use of LSD and the illuminati. It’s an album that went overlooked by a lot of people, but it’s a nice combination of two similar forces that is a good time overall.
Notable Tracks: “Cult Assassin” “Amputated Saint” “Skull & Guns”
11. NaS & Damian Marley- Distant Relatives
Another album plagued by delays that made me fear what its quality would be bad, but again I am proven wrong. This disc is just a whole dish of odd-defying quality. While their prior collaboration on Jamrock’s “Road To Zion” showed the chemistry between the two men, Distant Relatives takes that chemistry to new and unseen levels. The dread-ed militant Marley combined with the clean cut, bling and fitted wearing NaS literally come together, combining cultures and styles in a hybrid reggae/rap that never gets boring. While it does run a tad long, it mixes things up enough to make it worth the listen. When not working strictly together, they bring in logical collaborators like Stephen Marley and K’Naan, and those sort of bizarre ones like Lil’ Wayne & Joss Stone (together on one track?). If there was one album that should have received a lot more mainstream attention, it is this one without question.
Notable Tracks: “As We Enter” “Nah Mean” “Africa Must Wake Up”
Stay tuned for the top 10! Surprises may ensue!
20. Rob Zombie-Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool
When I was in sixth grade I used to listen to the tracks “Meet the Creeper”, “Dragula” and “Superbeast” several times a day. Then in high school I bought the first Hellbilly Deluxe at one of FYE’s several “Buy 3 get 1 free!” sales and surprisingly enjoyed it beyond a nostalgia level. A few weeks ago, after listening to Rick Ross’s Teflon Don, iTunes automatically put on what was next in the playlist, Rob Zombie’s Hellbilly Deluxe 2. I had every intent to change it, but as soon as it started I felt like that sixth grader walking home from elementary school with my Walkman on full blast. Without as much of an “ehhh” I made it through the entire album and enjoyed myself. While HB2 is not a piece of timeless art, it’s fun, and it’s retro (weird thinking that sounding like a ’98 album is retro) and it never really takes itself too seriously. Not to mention psychobilly prodigy John 5 brings his country flavor to the music, adding a quirky new dimension. For those that publicly or privately enjoy the Zombie in all of his glory, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is an album for you. If you don’t enjoy the Zombie…then get out of here!
Notable Tracks: “Jesus Frankenstein” “The Man Who Laughs”
19. Devo- Something for Everybody
Aging geeks. That is exactly what Devo are. And on Something for Everybody they make it abundantly clear. While many bands try to retain their heavy credibility into old age (see KISS) or try to turn their music to prove that they have become wise in their years (see Johnny Cash) Devo are the same guys, just 20 years older than the last time we heard something new from them. This album sounds as if they wrote it in the 80’s and re-mastered it now, tweaking some lyrics to be more relevant to today’s audience. The Mothersbaugh’s, the Castle’s and drum god Josh Freese are really in tune to what made Devo great in the day, and allowing fans to pick what songs were on the album certainly made it Something for Everybody. Not the bands best work (I mean, they peaked in the 70’s) but a fun album that knows just how corny it is. If there was only a young band like Devo today.
Notable Tracks: “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” "Please Baby Please" "Step Up"
18. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.- Record Collection
Record Collection is an album that has me scratching my head every time I listen to it, thinking “Is this really all that good?” I think the fact that it has me so intrigued listen after listen means that Mark and the crew are doing something right. The first two tracks wham off collaborations with hip-hop vets Q-Tip and Ghostface Killah over catchy synthy beats. It’s different than the Dap Kings influenced Version, in a sense that every song is not arranged in the same fashion. And as it keeps going the guest spots get more and more strange, creating quite the interesting vibe. Boy George, Spank Rock, and the London Gay Men’s Chorus all contribute interesting and odd parts to snappy fun tracks, making the listen not only fun but fascinating. I still prefer Version, and the complete wackiness of Here Comes the Fuzz even, but Record Collection is a nice showing that proves that Ronson doesn’t have a formula to fit into.
Notable Tracks: “The Bike Song” “Introducing the Business” “Bang Bang Bang”
17. Weezer- Hurley
Here it is. Soak it up ladies and gentlemen. Weezer has returned. After three consecutive flops and a departure from Geffen, it seemed as though Weezer had 2 options. One was continue making watered down pop rock under an independent record label, and the other was take some time to record a good album that makes people remember why they love Weezer. What they did falls somewhere in the middle. A year after the laughably bad Raditude, Hurley shows a band that may have been held back by the people at Geffen, but also a band that knows how to make fun pop rock. What was lost between the heavy Maladroit and Hurley? Who knows, but there’s no denying that while it’s not classic, it is certainly a FUN POP ROCK album. The bands critics keep saying they’re never going to be as good as Blue Album or Pinkerton, and my response to that is WHO CARES?! Can’t we just enjoy what they’re making? I thoroughly enjoy this new sound, do I like it better than Blue and Pink? No! But I like it! Rivers may have lost his mind with some of his lyrics (“B.o.B is dying to hang out!”) but he can still make a song that gets stuck in your head for days, and that’s a skill that not many rockers have in this day and age.
Notable Tracks: “Memories” “Trainwrecks” “Smart Girls”
16. Infant Sorrow-Get Him To The Greek
The soundtrack to the same named film, the fictional band fronted by off the wagon rock star Aldous Snow does exactly what the film needs it to do, rock. In the beginning of the film, Jonah Hill’s Aaron Green laments that Snow is the last remaining true rock star, and that perhaps the world needs people like him, and the songs on this soundtrack certainly prove that. They are funny and quirky in their lyrical content, but at the end of the day the just straight up rock. What’s the formula to the greatness of these songs? Is it the mix of having actual rock stars like Jarvis Cocker write music and have comedians like Jason Segel and Judd Apatow write lyrics? Maybe. But the point is that in a generation where all of our comedy music comes from geeky self aware comic groups like Tenacious D and Flight of the Conchords (no offense meant to either group) it’s great to see a Spinal Tap-esque fictional band that can not only make you laugh, but make you bang your head and tap your foot.
Notable Tracks: “Furry Walls” “The Clap” “Bangers, Beans and Mash”
15. The Roots- Hot I Got Over
I was not excited for this album. The constant delays, the shameless self promotion that it was “classic” by Questlove, and the fact that the Jimmy Fallon gig may have taken a toll on the bands songwriting skills, really had my thinking this was going to flop, especially following the star-studded and over the top Rising Down, but this album did deliver in an odd and satisfying way. It’s not the same Roots we’ve heard before, it’s a more driven, rock based sound, and it knows how to entertain. While Blackthought may not be spitting his most politically relevant lyrics, nor is Questlove pushing the band to their musical limits, this album is for once positive in its content and fun in its presentation. With such a vast discography, and a changing of the guard from the god of bass Hub to white boy Owen Biddle, it’s no surprise this isn’t their best work, but it shows that they still have plenty of potential to grow even more than they have over the years.
Notable Tracks: “Dear God 2.0” “How I Got Over” “The Fire”
14. Eminem-Recovery
There are a few artists that are so iconic, that you can’t help but root for through thick and thin. Eminem is one of those guys. Defying the odds and transcending race he became the voice of our generation and made all of us cringe and make sure our parents weren’t in the room when his music videos came on TV. But after the disappointments in Encore and Relapse, there was doubt that Slim Shady would return to true form, but Recovery showed that there is still life in the aging Detroit rapper. This isn’t the same, constantly angry at the world Eminem, this is a grown up who has more life experience than 90% of the rap community. And while he may not be as on point as he was in the past, he can still make rhymes and use his unique and intense flow to command respect. Is this as good as the Slim Shady or Marshall Mathers LP’s? No. But we have an album that never quite hits the lows that his prior two have, and we have a new sort of insight. He can still reference obscene things, but at the same time he can go and preach in songs like “Not Afraid” and it doesn’t seem awkward. I enjoy this album a lot, and if Em can hone his skills even more on his next album, he may have another classic in him.
Notable Tracks: “Cold Wind Blows” “On Fire” “Won’t Back Down”
13. The Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
In his third consecutive year on the list, Jack White’s The Dead Weather put out another great album. The thing about Jack White is that while all of his music is good and entertaining, it seems as if he’s coasting by putting albums out so fast. And that amazes me. Released a year after their debut Horehound, Sea of Cowards packs the same bluesy, hard edged punch that the bands debut had, and it took less than a year to write and record! That’s incredible. This album starts off hard and effective with “Blue Blood Blues” and more or less keeps rocking until it ends. It’s punchiness musically can be handed to bassist Jack Lawrence and the man himself White behind the drum kit, and the vocals of White and Allison Mosshart just fit perfectly in the sleazy blues of the bands music. Jack White seems to be defying the odds in terms of his track record as of the past few years, and after Sea of Cowards I have high hopes for what is next.
Notable Tracks: “Blue Blood Blues” “Hustle and Cuss” “Gasoline”
12. DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill-Kill Devil Hills
The third album in Cypress Hill DJ Muggs’ “vs.” series sees the California native team up with Brooklyn’s Ill Bill of Non Phixion and La Coka Nostra. The end result is a very nice dose of hardcore hip hop in a time where the hardest rapper on the radio used to be a corrections officer. Bill has a killer delivery and Muggs crafts great beats that both have a vintage vibe, while still hitting hard. Not to mention the guest spots are pretty good. The obvious Cypress Hill and Coka Nostra ones coming from B-Real, Slaine and Everlast, and surprises from Raekwon and Jedi Mind Tricks’ Vinny Paz help break up Bill’s talents. I like the continuity from Bill’s verses on La Coka Nostra’s A Brand You Can Trust to this album, still talking about how fat America is and his own difficult life, while peppering in political themes with government use of LSD and the illuminati. It’s an album that went overlooked by a lot of people, but it’s a nice combination of two similar forces that is a good time overall.
Notable Tracks: “Cult Assassin” “Amputated Saint” “Skull & Guns”
11. NaS & Damian Marley- Distant Relatives
Another album plagued by delays that made me fear what its quality would be bad, but again I am proven wrong. This disc is just a whole dish of odd-defying quality. While their prior collaboration on Jamrock’s “Road To Zion” showed the chemistry between the two men, Distant Relatives takes that chemistry to new and unseen levels. The dread-ed militant Marley combined with the clean cut, bling and fitted wearing NaS literally come together, combining cultures and styles in a hybrid reggae/rap that never gets boring. While it does run a tad long, it mixes things up enough to make it worth the listen. When not working strictly together, they bring in logical collaborators like Stephen Marley and K’Naan, and those sort of bizarre ones like Lil’ Wayne & Joss Stone (together on one track?). If there was one album that should have received a lot more mainstream attention, it is this one without question.
Notable Tracks: “As We Enter” “Nah Mean” “Africa Must Wake Up”
Stay tuned for the top 10! Surprises may ensue!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Best of 2010: The Let Down's and Honorable Mention's
The end is here...odd to say. Sadly I didn't make it through all 78 albums, but I made it through most of them, and have my list compiled and am working through it. To give you a taste for what may be on it and what definitely won't be, here are this year's let down's and honorable mentions!
The Let Down's:
Every year there are albums that disappoint. These are the albums that disappointed me...
1. Sleigh Bells- Treats: I was promised great things with Sleigh Bells. Noise-pop with an upbeat chick and a one-time metal drummer. I mean how cool of a combination is that? The problem is that the one-time metal drummer’s mixing is ridiculous. Some people like it, a lot of people actually, but by track 3 or 4 my head was about to fall off from the noise and I was not having a good time. I don’t doubt the group can make a great album, I just feel like their current formula is a bit painful to the ears.
2. Nicki Minaj- Pink Friday: Minaj did a lot of boasting this year, gaining the most attention from her showstopping verse on Kanye West’s “Monster” overshadowing West and Jay-Z. However, her album is an odd mix of pop, R&B and hip-hop. There are a few tracks, notably “Roman’s Revenge” with Eminem, that showcase the Minaj that bragged about making a million off of a mixtape. While it’s certainly not bad to rap about diverse things, it’s just when you’re really good at one thing and not so good at other’s, stick to what you’re good at. The song with will.i.am that samples "Video Killed the Radio Star" is near impossible to listen to.
3. M.I.A.- Maya (I’m not going to justify that whole slash thing): M.I.A. had the world on a silver platter following the huge success of Kala, an album that hit #4 on my Best of 2007 list, and its breakout single “Paper Plans”. But what did Maya do? Listened to too much Nine Inch Nails and pretended like she could do whatever she wanted without consequence. Well, the world is paying the price, having wasted 40 minutes listening to Maya.
4. Cee-Lo Green-The Lady Killer: This album is not bad, just not nearly as good as it could’ve been. While I haven’t dived into his prior solo work or the Goodie Mob discography, the two Gnarls Barkley albums are really awesome, and following “Fuck You” everyone expected this album to be a snarky, catchy look at the life of the titular Lady Killer. Instead it’s a run of the mill funky throwback album. “Fuck You” and the bonus track “Love Gun” (NOT a Kiss cover) are the only two that really stood out.
Now to the more positive...
Honorable Mentions:
Those albums that are good, but not quite good enough.
1. Die Antwoord- $O$: I don’t know South African culture, so I don’t know if every rap group over there sounds like Die Antwoord, but the Zef trio to me is one of the most innovative groups of the year. The rapping is strangely diverse, kind of goofy, and at the end of the day really sharp and potent. What brings this album down is just how zany it is. Sometimes the concepts fall flat, so more consistency in a follow-up release is certainly doable.
2. MGMT-Congratulations: Oracular Spectacular took its toll on me. I got really sick of the singles, and the rest of the album kind of fell flat, so I was really skeptical about Congratulations. I was quite surprised when I got around to listen to it, I felt like I was listening to an entirely new band. While a lot of bands have gotten big off of one sound (think how “Fly” by Sugar Ray changed their sound) MGMT opted to do what they wanted to rather than go for the guaranteed paycheck. The album’s not a classic, but it’s a fun listen and it shows guts to do what they did.
3. Johnny Cash- American VI: Ain’t No Grave: Cash’s American series is one of the most interesting and incredible career shifts of all time. Sort of like the Bill Murray of music, Cash changed his direction from the classic country sound to a grim, earthy, heartfelt sound that oftentimes showed awareness that death was looming around the corner. The aptly titled Ain’t No Grave is the last of the recordings done during the American V: A Hundred Highways sessions and while it may be considered a b-sides album, it contains some really good tunes that prove that up until the end Cash was on his game.
4. John Legend and The Roots-Wake Up!: When I saw a poster for this album, I thought it was a joke. Released mere months after the Roots’ How I Got Over, Wake Up! is an odd album to categorize. Legend is a modern R&B crooner and the Roots are a politically aware and highly influential hip-hop band. And when they are put together we get…a funk/soul album of covers of Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and other classic soul groups? I don’t love this album, but considering the haste in which is was made, promoted and released, I respect the grind put in by Legend and the Roots.
Keep your eyes on your Twitter feed because the list is coming soon!
The Let Down's:
Every year there are albums that disappoint. These are the albums that disappointed me...
1. Sleigh Bells- Treats: I was promised great things with Sleigh Bells. Noise-pop with an upbeat chick and a one-time metal drummer. I mean how cool of a combination is that? The problem is that the one-time metal drummer’s mixing is ridiculous. Some people like it, a lot of people actually, but by track 3 or 4 my head was about to fall off from the noise and I was not having a good time. I don’t doubt the group can make a great album, I just feel like their current formula is a bit painful to the ears.
2. Nicki Minaj- Pink Friday: Minaj did a lot of boasting this year, gaining the most attention from her showstopping verse on Kanye West’s “Monster” overshadowing West and Jay-Z. However, her album is an odd mix of pop, R&B and hip-hop. There are a few tracks, notably “Roman’s Revenge” with Eminem, that showcase the Minaj that bragged about making a million off of a mixtape. While it’s certainly not bad to rap about diverse things, it’s just when you’re really good at one thing and not so good at other’s, stick to what you’re good at. The song with will.i.am that samples "Video Killed the Radio Star" is near impossible to listen to.
3. M.I.A.- Maya (I’m not going to justify that whole slash thing): M.I.A. had the world on a silver platter following the huge success of Kala, an album that hit #4 on my Best of 2007 list, and its breakout single “Paper Plans”. But what did Maya do? Listened to too much Nine Inch Nails and pretended like she could do whatever she wanted without consequence. Well, the world is paying the price, having wasted 40 minutes listening to Maya.
4. Cee-Lo Green-The Lady Killer: This album is not bad, just not nearly as good as it could’ve been. While I haven’t dived into his prior solo work or the Goodie Mob discography, the two Gnarls Barkley albums are really awesome, and following “Fuck You” everyone expected this album to be a snarky, catchy look at the life of the titular Lady Killer. Instead it’s a run of the mill funky throwback album. “Fuck You” and the bonus track “Love Gun” (NOT a Kiss cover) are the only two that really stood out.
Now to the more positive...
Honorable Mentions:
Those albums that are good, but not quite good enough.
1. Die Antwoord- $O$: I don’t know South African culture, so I don’t know if every rap group over there sounds like Die Antwoord, but the Zef trio to me is one of the most innovative groups of the year. The rapping is strangely diverse, kind of goofy, and at the end of the day really sharp and potent. What brings this album down is just how zany it is. Sometimes the concepts fall flat, so more consistency in a follow-up release is certainly doable.
2. MGMT-Congratulations: Oracular Spectacular took its toll on me. I got really sick of the singles, and the rest of the album kind of fell flat, so I was really skeptical about Congratulations. I was quite surprised when I got around to listen to it, I felt like I was listening to an entirely new band. While a lot of bands have gotten big off of one sound (think how “Fly” by Sugar Ray changed their sound) MGMT opted to do what they wanted to rather than go for the guaranteed paycheck. The album’s not a classic, but it’s a fun listen and it shows guts to do what they did.
3. Johnny Cash- American VI: Ain’t No Grave: Cash’s American series is one of the most interesting and incredible career shifts of all time. Sort of like the Bill Murray of music, Cash changed his direction from the classic country sound to a grim, earthy, heartfelt sound that oftentimes showed awareness that death was looming around the corner. The aptly titled Ain’t No Grave is the last of the recordings done during the American V: A Hundred Highways sessions and while it may be considered a b-sides album, it contains some really good tunes that prove that up until the end Cash was on his game.
4. John Legend and The Roots-Wake Up!: When I saw a poster for this album, I thought it was a joke. Released mere months after the Roots’ How I Got Over, Wake Up! is an odd album to categorize. Legend is a modern R&B crooner and the Roots are a politically aware and highly influential hip-hop band. And when they are put together we get…a funk/soul album of covers of Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and other classic soul groups? I don’t love this album, but considering the haste in which is was made, promoted and released, I respect the grind put in by Legend and the Roots.
Keep your eyes on your Twitter feed because the list is coming soon!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Hey check this out!
I'm listening to albums from 2010, and to keep occupied, I'm compiling albums on my Rate Your Music page into lists. Check out this first one, my All Inclusive Look at the man, myth, legend Mike Patton.
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/DWinch/mike_patton__the_all_inclusive_look
Enjoy! And keep checking back!
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/DWinch/mike_patton__the_all_inclusive_look
Enjoy! And keep checking back!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
My Listening of 2010
Ladies and gentlemen, we are in December, and thusly it is time to start reflecting on the year in music. Now, unlike so many respectable blogs, I give myself until the very end of the month to listen, re-listen and pick apart albums. But I like to give the lovely 3 or 4 readers of this blog an idea of what they have to choose from. I thought I didn't have much music from this lovely year, but upon making a playlist on iTunes of 2010 music I found close to 1,100 songs from the year! Here is a full list of albums I have (not all I have listened to 2 or 3 times) so this is what is contributing to my list...
1. Andrew W.K.-Mother of Mankind
2. B.o.B-The Adventures of Bobby Ray
3. B.o.B-May 25th
4. Biffy Clyro-iTunes Festival: London 2010
5. Big Boi-Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
6. The Black Keys-Brothers
7. Brandon Boyd-The Wild Trapeze
8. Broken Bells-Broken Bells
9. Carole King & James Taylor-Live At The Troubadour
10. Cee-Lo Green-The Lady Killer
11. Chris Webby-The Underclassmen
12. The Cool Kids-Tacklebox
13. Cypress Hill-Rise Up
14. Daft Punk-Tron Legacy
15. The Dead Weather-Sea of Cowards
16. Devo-Something for Everybody
17. Die Antwoord- $O$
18. The Dillinger Escape Plan-Option Paralysis
19. DJ Muggs VS Ill Bill-Kill Devil Hills
20. Drake-Thank Me Later
21. El-P-Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx Vol. 3
22. Elvis Costello-National Ransom
23. Eminem-Recovery
24. Girl Talk-All Day
25. Go Hard Or Go Homeless-Go Hard Or Go Homeless LP
26. Gorillaz-Plastic Beach
27. Infant Sorrow-Get Him To The Greek
28. Janelle Monae-The Archandroid
29. John Legend & The Roots-Wake Up!
30. Johnny Cash-American VI: Ain’t No Grave
31. Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
32. Kanye West-VH1 Storytellers
33. Katy Perry-Teenage Dream
34. Kid Cudi-Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
35. Kingfisher-Wizards n’ Stuff
36. LCD Soundsystem-This Is Happening
37. Lil’ Wayne- I Am Not A Human Being
38. Lil’ Wayne-Rebirth
39. Lordi- Babez for Breakfast
40. M.I.A.- /\/\ /\ Y /\
41. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.-Record Collection
42. Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon-Wu-Massacre
43. MGMT-Congratulations
44. Mike Falzone-In Between Couch Cushions
45. Mike Patton-Mondo Cane
46. Mumford & Sons- Sigh No More
47. My Chemical Romance-Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
48. N.E.R.D-Nothing
49. NaS & Damian Marley-Distant Relatives
50. Nicki Minaj-Pink Friday
51. OK Go-Of The Blue Colour of the Sky
52. Primus- June 2010 Rehearsal
53. Rhymfest-El Che
54. Rob Zombie- Hellbilly Deluxe 2
55. Robyn-Body Talk Pt. 2
56. The Roots-How I Got Over
57. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings-I Learned The Hard Way
58. Sleigh Bells-Treats
59. Street Sweeper Social Club-The Ghetto Blaster
60. Streetlight Manifesto-99 Songs of Revolution: Volume 1
61. Tiger Riot-Look Up!
62. Travie McCoy-Lazarus
63. Trey Songz-Passion, Pain and Pleasure
64. Vampire Weekend-Contra
65. Wale-More About Nothing
66. Weezer-Death to False Metal
67. Weezer-Hurley
68. Wiz Khalifa-Kush & Orange Juice
69. Wu-Tang Vs. The Beatles-Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers
70. You Suck-The Mixtape That’s Fun To Listen To
71. You Suck-You Guys Like Hip Hop
72. Various Artists-Crazy Heart
73. Various Artists- HBO Presents: How To Make It In America
74. Various Artists-Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
76. Rick Ross-Teflon Don
77. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
78. T.I.-No Mercy
So...that's it.
1. Andrew W.K.-Mother of Mankind
2. B.o.B-The Adventures of Bobby Ray
3. B.o.B-May 25th
4. Biffy Clyro-iTunes Festival: London 2010
5. Big Boi-Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
6. The Black Keys-Brothers
7. Brandon Boyd-The Wild Trapeze
8. Broken Bells-Broken Bells
9. Carole King & James Taylor-Live At The Troubadour
10. Cee-Lo Green-The Lady Killer
11. Chris Webby-The Underclassmen
12. The Cool Kids-Tacklebox
13. Cypress Hill-Rise Up
14. Daft Punk-Tron Legacy
15. The Dead Weather-Sea of Cowards
16. Devo-Something for Everybody
17. Die Antwoord- $O$
18. The Dillinger Escape Plan-Option Paralysis
19. DJ Muggs VS Ill Bill-Kill Devil Hills
20. Drake-Thank Me Later
21. El-P-Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx Vol. 3
22. Elvis Costello-National Ransom
23. Eminem-Recovery
24. Girl Talk-All Day
25. Go Hard Or Go Homeless-Go Hard Or Go Homeless LP
26. Gorillaz-Plastic Beach
27. Infant Sorrow-Get Him To The Greek
28. Janelle Monae-The Archandroid
29. John Legend & The Roots-Wake Up!
30. Johnny Cash-American VI: Ain’t No Grave
31. Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
32. Kanye West-VH1 Storytellers
33. Katy Perry-Teenage Dream
34. Kid Cudi-Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
35. Kingfisher-Wizards n’ Stuff
36. LCD Soundsystem-This Is Happening
37. Lil’ Wayne- I Am Not A Human Being
38. Lil’ Wayne-Rebirth
39. Lordi- Babez for Breakfast
40. M.I.A.- /\/\ /\ Y /\
41. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.-Record Collection
42. Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon-Wu-Massacre
43. MGMT-Congratulations
44. Mike Falzone-In Between Couch Cushions
45. Mike Patton-Mondo Cane
46. Mumford & Sons- Sigh No More
47. My Chemical Romance-Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
48. N.E.R.D-Nothing
49. NaS & Damian Marley-Distant Relatives
50. Nicki Minaj-Pink Friday
51. OK Go-Of The Blue Colour of the Sky
52. Primus- June 2010 Rehearsal
53. Rhymfest-El Che
54. Rob Zombie- Hellbilly Deluxe 2
55. Robyn-Body Talk Pt. 2
56. The Roots-How I Got Over
57. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings-I Learned The Hard Way
58. Sleigh Bells-Treats
59. Street Sweeper Social Club-The Ghetto Blaster
60. Streetlight Manifesto-99 Songs of Revolution: Volume 1
61. Tiger Riot-Look Up!
62. Travie McCoy-Lazarus
63. Trey Songz-Passion, Pain and Pleasure
64. Vampire Weekend-Contra
65. Wale-More About Nothing
66. Weezer-Death to False Metal
67. Weezer-Hurley
68. Wiz Khalifa-Kush & Orange Juice
69. Wu-Tang Vs. The Beatles-Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers
70. You Suck-The Mixtape That’s Fun To Listen To
71. You Suck-You Guys Like Hip Hop
72. Various Artists-Crazy Heart
73. Various Artists- HBO Presents: How To Make It In America
74. Various Artists-Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
76. Rick Ross-Teflon Don
77. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
78. T.I.-No Mercy
So...that's it.
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