Camille's Top of 2009

Well OKSG got us started with a hefty list of tracks I need to get my hands on, so now I step up to the mic. There is of course a tiny bit of overlap but not as much as I would have expected. Unlike OKSG, I wasn't SO thrilled about the output this year, my list of jams this year was very single-heavy and there were fewer full albums or even individual tracks that straight up wowed me. That said there was still enough good stuff to keep my playlist growing. So without further ado...


My Favorite Albums of the Year (in no particular order)

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
This album dominated the first half of the year for me. My first exposure to Animal Collective. A stunner of an album.

Daniel Merriweather - Love and War
The other Merriweather of the ear. I'd been eagerly awaiting this Mark Ronson-produced album since 2006, and though it took a minute to grow on me. I soon found my faves and kept it in heavy rotation

Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Another album that got played to death this year. Mos goes super hard on this with the beats, with the lyrics, with the carefully picked collabos (Georgia Anne, Slick Rick). Work of a master. Don't sleep.

Elan Mehler - The After Suite
Brownswood keeps on supporting great new jazz. Elan Mehler and crew make great Lounge Lizards-reminiscent jazz and keep the craft alive. Looking forward to more from this cat.

Shafiq Hussein - In A Free Ka
While the Sa-Ra album had a couple powerful joints, it didn't hit all the high notes that Shafiq's solo record did. I guess he was holding stuff back? I dunno, but In A Free Ka has some serious perennial jams.


My Favorite Single Tracks of the Year

Joker - Digidesign
Joker melted my face off many times this year. BAAAAASSS!

DJ 2000F - You Don't Know What Love Is?
The B-side to Digidesign, more music to bump in your fictional drop-top with hydraulics. Turn the stereo UP!

Sound Species ft. Ahu (aka Dolly) - Can We Call It Love?
What's with this crew? Was this track a one-off? the world wants MORE!

SA-RA - The Bone Song
This music is so smooth it needs to be sponsored by Nivea. I live for this track.

Major Lazer - Jump Up (Laza Remix)
If Major Lazer is in the room it is a sweaty, scandalous, bootywinding, "I-hope-I don't-run-into-you-in- the-elevator-the-day-after-the-company-Christmas-party" kinda affair.

Simian Mobile Disco ft. Beth Ditto - Cruel Intentions (Joker Remix)
From the moment I heard the Sonar Mix I was on the hunt for this track. When it finally dropped onto the nets, I was voracious! So hot!

Chauffeur - Soles of Fire
Not to under-Ronsonify things. I have been very much all over this Sam Sparro, Theophilus London, Mark Ronson collabo. More to come in 2010....we hopes



Little Dragon - After the Rain (GB Remix)
It's a shame the Little Dragon album didn't live up to the hype that this track (the first of theirs I'd ever heard) built up in me. But anyway this record is hard hitting and full of emotion. A true original. Cop it!

Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo
Chuuuuunage! Joy Orbison humbly did the thing this year. On a recent GP episode he seemed really reluctant to say if any full-length album was forthcoming, but we all ask and hope we shall receive in the new year.

Hudson Mohawke -Gluetooth & Overnight
An end of the year entry, I just got on to this crew via our boy (and purveyor of best HK night-clubbage) DJ Kid Fresh. I will definitely be kicking down some hard-earned coins to these guys. Hard-hitting jammage!


Favorite Mixtapes/Mixes of the Year

Joker at Sonar
Heat of the decade? Probably so!

Lil Wayne - No Ceilings
Solidly solid mixtape full of some heavy hitting jams and the best flow in the business. The master has only begun. The only direction is UP for Weezy.

Most Anticipated for 2010

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh
Jose James - BLACKMAGIC
new Tough Alliance album ?
new Chauffeur album?
new M.I.A. album?

OK Sounds Good Best of 09'

Yoyo, 2008 was a great year for music and it's only got better in 2009, I feel like the second half of this decade has heated up with the great stuff coming out. Here is my best of 2009.

Best Albums- (because yes... I still listen to albums)
in no particular order

Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
Exile - Radio
Hudson Mohawke- Polyfolk Dance EP
Major Lazer- GDKPPD
Zomby- One Foot Ahead of The Other
Martyn - Great Lengths
Silkie- City Limits Vol. 1
Omar S- Fabriclive 45
J Dilla- Jay Stay Paid
Mos Def- The Ecstatic
Shafiq Husayn- Shafiq En A Free Ka (this LP sounds and feels like a companion album to last years New Amerykah by Eykah Badu, both highly recommended listening)
Sa Ra- Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love
Dam Funk- Toeachizown
Bullion- Young Heartache EP
Hyperdub- 5
Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics - Inspiration Information
Legends of Benin (Analog Africa)
Orchestre Poly Rhythmo de Contou- The Vodoun Effect
Ghana Special - Modern Hilife, Afro Sounds, and Ghanian Blues 1968-81 (Soundways)
Sengal 70- Musical Effervescence


Best Songs/ Remixes
(bottom 5 only streaming, all else are download links!)

Simian Mobile Disco (Joker Remix)- "Cruel Intensions"
Joker - "Digidesign"
Jay Electronica "Exhibit C"
Drake "Fear"
L.A.U.S.D. ft. Blu and J Davey- iFeel
Little Dragon (GB Remix) - After the Rain
Floating Points "Love Me Like This"
joy orbison- hyph mngo
Bookworms- African Rhythms

Reggie B - "Belief"
kode 9 - black sun
Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts 6
Apple — Sieglizer (this may be an 08' release, either way it deserves praise)
LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 Theo Parrish's Space Cadet Remix
Myron & E- I Can't Let You Get Away


Best Mixes/ Mixtapes:
Lil Wayne - No Ceilings (this refreshing mixtape brought Wayne back to his usual unusual stellar mixtape form)
Theo Parrish - Suggested Use
Joker- Sonar Mix (nothing but hit after hit of unreleased heat)
Kyle Hall FACT Mix 55
J Rocc on Benji B [BBC Radio One] 15/06/2009

Honorable Mentions:
Broadcast and the Focus Group- Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age
Micachu- Jewellery
2562- Unbalance
Gaslamp Killer- My Troubled Mind EP
Terror Danjah- Gremlinz: The Instrumentals

Georgia Anne Muldrow - "Roses"

Nothing particularly super duper special about this video, I just love this song ,this woman and her energy so here goes

Mark Pritchard "Heavy As Stone"

Never to leave you without something dope to step to, Mark Pritchard aka Harmonic 313 aka harmonic 33 aka a whole bunch of other aliases I can't remember right now puts forth this dope single forthcoming on the Deep Medi label...its all encompasing in its emotion and sound, check it...also lookout for his Africa Hi Tech project with Steve Spacek that is sure to be hot as well

Badu & Weezy!!! Powers Combine

So just like a second ago, OKSG wrote me to tell me that somewhere there was a new Erykah Badu & Lil Wayne track floating around somewhere. A bit of quick sleuthing proved that there was a very rough rough bit of this awesomeness. It's called "Jump in the Air and Stay There" and there are (according to the ever-reliable Okayplayer crew) ten different versions featuring ten different MCs and it's uncertain whether the track will make the album. Well, I, for one, can't wait to hear all ten, but a muffled version of one works for me for now. Hope it makes the cut.



This news comes on the heels of the glorious news (via Pinboard blog)that Miz Badu's album is pretty much "in the can" and will be dropping early next year. 2010 is already looking like fi-yah!

Flying Lotus x Lil Wayne x Muhsinah

FlyLo doing the damn thing right now. Here are a couple of remixes/ collabos that are sounding dope.
First is a remix of Lil Wayne's "I Feel Like Dying"



which you can download over at XLR8R along with the heavy HEAVY instrumental which you can freestyle over while feeling like dying...

and second is this great track "Lose My Fuse" that he produced for the lovely Muhsinah



which you can download here

enjoy!