2010 may have been a shockingly amazing year for music, but I unfortunately feel uncertain whether or not I would know. I had so much going on this year, I feel like I really lagged in the music department (and it shows in the amount of posting I've done on the blog). Thanks to OKSG and the few moments I could grab to jam new sounds into my ear, there were a few albums and tracks that got heavy rotation round these parts. Here they go...
Best Albums (in no particular order)
- Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - like everyone else says, great rhythms, brutal honesty, hilarity, the man is at the top of his game right now
- Gonjasufi- A Sufi and A Killer - utter psychedelic madness, like nothing else I heard this year. TOP HONORS!
- Mark Ronson & the Business International- Record Collection - people already know I am total Mark Ronson "stan fan", and the dude did the damn thing with this album. scrapped the horns and took a hard left into a different direction and the results are GOOOD! The return of D'Angelo, the return of Boy George, the return of Duran Duran. This album is epic. I'm just waiting for someone to churn out a 10 minute mega mix of Somebody To Love Me, it's begging for it.
- Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh) - This album admittedly sounds like its mostly just outtakes from Part One, but there is enough funkiness and home truths (I'm a recovering undercover, overlover people, come on!) on there to have gotten it some hard spinnage over at my house
- Aloe Blacc - Good Things - Alright, I'm not gonna lie and say this album is solid all the way through but it really has enough going on that it wormed its way into my heart over the months I've been listening to it. Not enough people are successfully putting this kinda music out (sorry John Legend, that covers album was a BAD idea. stay in your lane, bruh.)
- Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Return of Chico Dusty - This is hip hop for that grown and sexy set, and I can't hate. I previously had doubts about Big Boi's solo abilities, but he put them to rest on this one.
12/31/10 - EDIT TO ADD :
- Duran Duran's All You Need Is Now is a true return to form and for that we can thank the good lads of DD and the fanboy enthusiasm of album producer Mark Ronson
- Caribou - Swim- In his ongoing quest to make sure I am always late to the party, OKSG (gee thanks, lil bro) only just dropped this gem on me the other day, but the fact that I am rushing back on here to tell y'all about it is a testament to the electro-goodness of this album. Get it!
1. Girl Unit - Wut (just slid in under the wire. thanks OKSG)
2. Crookers feat. Roisin Murphy - Royal T
3. Jamie Woon - Night Air
4. T.I. - I'm Back (unfortunately ironic)
5. Ski Beatz - Taxi f. Mos Def & Whosane
6. Cee-Lo - No One's Gonna Love You (cover of Band of Horses)
7. Homeboy Sandman - Parallel Perpendicular (i gotta grab this dude's whole album)
8. Gregory Porter - Pretty
9. Just Vyybe (Soul Power Mix) - DVA ft Fatima
10. Best Coast - Boyfriend (this track makes me feel like I'm in the 9th grade again - totally 90s alt rock/riot grrrl vectors. infectious!
Favorite Mixtapes/Mixes
Major Lazer X LaRoux
Yao's 20 Minute Phone Card Mix
MJ Cole Exclusive Fader Mix
Ayshay's Muslim Trance Mini-Mix (via The Fader)
2011 Most Anticipated
Jamie Woon's full length debut
Mark Ronson/Andrew Wyatt collaboration project
Lil Wayne - The Carter IV
original tracks from Yao (aka our very own OKSG)???
the return of Amy Winehouse?
