Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
A longtime well-known name on Ed Banger Records and in the French house circuit, SebastiAn has finally dropped his first proper LP Total after years of touring with big names like Daft Punk, remixing stars like Cut Copy, and releasing some stellar EPs. While we patiently wait for Justice to put out their sophomore effort, perhaps we’ve been anticipating the wrong French dance release over here in the States.
I’ve casually kept up with SebastiAn ever since I saw him open for The Rapture and Daft Punk at Red Rocks back in 2007 – he wowed the crowd with a raucous remix of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In the Name.” While overseas in London, I happened upon this new album playing over the PA at Rough Trade East. The artist is just as banging as ever; the entire album is a party, from the synth-laden interludes to the chopped up noise of “Embody” to the MIA collab “C.T.F.O.”
Surely this will whet the appetite for those of us eager for the clipped beats and club ready mish-mashing French DJs have mastered so well. It’s doubtful Daft Punk give us anything anytime soon, and I don’t see how Justice could top this fun, fun disc. We’ll find out soon enough, but it’s always fun to boogie while you’re playing the waiting game.
Today I conclude my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting the final ten songs.
10. Justin Timberlake – SexyBack (feat. Timbaland)
JT’s sophomore solo album was miles different from the R&B-influenced debut Justified. Â For one, it was dirtier, sexier, raunchier. Â Timberlake had all but washed himself clean of the boy band label he had established in ‘NSync, and on the other side was a sharp dressed man with smart production and crisp, Prince-leaning erotic pop. Â The surprisingly simple, yet undeniably infectious “SexyBack,” the album’s first single, is producer Timbaland at some of his most creative, and catchy, creations.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
60. Andrew WK – Party Hard
I love how everyone initially detested this guy, as if I Get Wet wasn’t the most awesome thing they had ever heard ever. Pitchfork, in their infinite indie wisdom, called this frat boy rock, which it probably is, in all truth, and gave it a 4.0. Of course, years later, it made their best-of list for the decade. Most people reneged on Andrew because you just can’t deny badassery, especially when it’s delivered in a completely earnest (but slightly exaggerated), multi-instrumental fashion. “Party Hard” is the intro message WK seeks to deliver, and as history has shown, it’s anything but novelty.
Overall, 2010 has been an amazing year in the world of music. My year-end list is swamped, and we’re not even into fall yet, where the majority of hyped and acclaimed releases are dropped. But alas, like every hit-filled year, there are some misses. I’ve listened to a lot of albums in 2010, and I’ve heard some fascinating work, some boring duds, and a few completely atrocious, “what were they thinking?” moments. Sometimes we know what we’re getting into, but it hurts the worst when a highly-anticipated album does not impress. Here are a few examples of albums from groups that failed to deliver this time around.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
240. Menomena – Wet and Rusting
The finest track from Friend and Foe begins with Menomena’s trademark effects layered across an odd strumming pattern. By the time we reach the second chorus, the track turns into a cavalcade of rolling drums and scaling piano lines. And to top it all off, it’s simply beautiful.
After uploading these tracks, I noticed all of them have female vocals. And they all rock. Girl power!
I know at this point I’m not educating anyone about this group, but I’ve been rocking them too much lately for me not to post about them. Above is the cover art for Treats, the debut from Sleigh Bells, a Brooklyn duo consisting of a former hardcore rocker and a (supposedly former) elementary school teacher. Treats drops on May 11 on Mom+Pop and MIA’s N.E.E.T. Recordings.
If you’ve never heard Sleigh Bells, and you’re at work or in a public setting, turn your speakers down NOW. Shit is loud. Basically they record sweet-as-candy singalong pop and record it on in-the-red settings so it’s blaring at a sometimes-unbearable level….on second thought, crank that shit.
All of the songs below will be on the new album.
Sleigh Bells – Crown On The Ground
