Maestro Fresh Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide

Remember this classic? Here's the Maestro himself with K-Os and Shad rocking out earlier this year in front of the lamest crowd in history.

Best of 2010 Part 6

In a few short hours I'll be done with Moncton and continue my east coast tour to my final destination, sunny Freddy Beach. You can catch me at the Phoenix tonight, complete with some kind of new "t-shirt". There might be a couple new songs in there too. I recommend stopping in to say hello, there's no cover tonight and you won't see me again until 2011. Sounds scary, but that's really only a week. Meh, come say hello anyway.

We're nearly there. Today we have three awesome must-have albums, which means tomorrow will be even better. I like these kinds of lists. I should do more. Just a little more condensed next time. This has been a bit of an effort. No more chatter, let's get back at 'er.

#6

Shad

TSOL

Comin' atcha now straight from London, Ontario (another one?) is Shadrach Kabango. If that isn't a name that says "destined for greatness" all over it, I don't know what is. Shad was pretty good before. He's now proved once and for all that he's pretty much awesome. Forget Kanye, this is the album that he should have made. There's no darkness here, only light.

You want tight lyrics, you got it. You want tight production, you got it. You want funk, you got it. You want soul, you got it. It's hard to find faults on this album. This should almost be number one. I guess the difference is the ones that beat this are all artists at their peak. You get the feeling that Shad isn't done by a damn sight just yet. Just listen to this, and listen to this:

Yaa I Get It

Rose Garden

Keep Shining

#5

Massive Attack

Heligoland

I'm a little biased with this pick. No wait, this is all biased. It's my list, if you don't like it, get stuffed. Massive Attack, comprised of Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall, tore up the script in 1998, and have done it again in 2010. When this came out I knew it would be a contender for album of the year, and at first I had it as my number one, but if I'm honest the four ahead of it got more playtime, so five is where it will be.

This album is not for everyone. It is overtly dark, brooding, menacing, and intimately powerful and moving. It also produced my favourite post of the year, which featured my favourite song and video of the year, "Paradise Circus". These guys have a gift for making simple productions that seem to have infinite depth. Turn off the lights, put on your headphones, and open your mind to this album and it will have you reaching for corners and things to hold on to like no other album this year.

Psyche

Splitting The Atom

Pray For Rain

#4

Cee-Lo Green

The Lady Killer

You had to know this was coming at some point. I'm a big Cee-Lo fan, and as soon as THAT single came out, it was clear this album was going to be special. For those who haven't heard his earlier stuff, I recommend checking it out. He's really good. The quality of this album was not a surprise. Given how much awesome stuff he's put out with Gnarls Barkley recently I have a hard time believing it was a surprise to anyone else either.

Just when we wanted more soul in the world, just when we needed more funk, Cee-Lo stormed out of the box and jammed it right down our collective throats. This album is the pinnacle of his career so far, there's no question. His distinct voice coupled with a soaring orchestral sound that harkens back to the best of Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke. And he did with a lyrical zeal that everyone can relate to, and he made you want to jump up and down and sing it as loud as you could. Well now's your time. Take a minute, think back to all the crappy things that happened to in 2010, think how 2011 will be so much better and give 'er all you've got. Fuck you!

Bright Lights, Bigger City

I Want You

Old Fashioned

BONUS BEATS!

Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand [Pimpsoul & DJP Remix]

Tomorrow's the big day... numero uno awaits!

Best of 2010 Part 2

I made a mistake yesterday after posting part 1. I went to the Pitchfork site to see what their top 50 albums of the year were. It's always been about the independent music movement there, but I have to say what I heard was beyond what I had anticipated. Maybe it's just me, but I just don't understand their concept of good music. There were a few there that I agreed with, but most of it was decidedly average, and some even so bad that it's almost unlistenable. Seriously. That bad. I don't get it.

Do people really listen to that stuff? I mean, I have some strange tastes and I post some weird tunes sometimes, but this "indie" thing just all sounds the same to me. My brain just can't seem to comprehend why in the world anyone would want to listen to dried-out lo-fi static-charged flighty dribble. I like guts in my music, substance, good production and as much funk as possible.

I remember thinking about this years ago, thinking about where music was heading. I remember thinking how different the music I liked was from the music my parents liked. I wondered how weird some of my generation was. What would music sound like in twenty years? How weird would people be? I feel that so-called indie rock, certainly that represented on the Pitchfork chart, and dubstep are exactly what I was thinking of. I like to think that I'm flexible, that I'm open-minded and that I can see the beauty and attraction in most forms of art and music, but I just can't get into that stuff, and don't think I ever will.

I digress. On to the good. Here's part 2 of 7.

#18

Booka Shade

More!

A while back I posted "Teenage Spaceman", the first single off Booka Shade's new album. Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier are another DJ/producer duo from Germany who continue to write new rules in the electronic genre. Their productions really are a thing of beauty. Rarely overly complex, they just seem to blend simple soft synth sounds really nicely together, creating a smooth tapestry of sound that is almost unrivaled in the house genre.

Producing complete albums is almost old fashioned nowadays in the electronic world, but Booka Shade continues to put out complete albums of awesome music. This latest offering features tracks that keep that awesome vibe going, but still have a fresh sound to them. Whether it's the progressive grooves of "Teenage Spaceman", or the simplistic minimal funk of "The Door", it just keeps you moving forwards through their moments of musical brilliance. Can't wait to hear their next effort.

Regenerate

Donut (Interpretation)

The Door

#17

Gorillaz

Plastic Beach

I almost didn't include the new Gorillaz album on my chart. Almost. Then I gave my head a shake and here we are. When I posted "Stylo" I remember thinking how awesome it was that there was some fresh new tunes to get me through the summer. I've always been a fan of Damon Albarn's so-called side project, which has turned out to be more like a main project. I'm thankful for that, too, because he makes way cooler music with these guys than he did with Blur.

I don't think this album is front-to-back awesome, but it's really good and there are more than enough great tracks on it to make its acquisition a sensible decision. This album, more than their previous efforts, blended so many great styles together. Ambient, soul, hip hop, and what can only be described as synth funk all find a home here, and do it seamlessly. This, to me, is what the indie movement is supposed to sound like. No crappy white noise in the background, just nice, smooth, funky production to go with great vocals. I mean common. Snoop Dogg is featured on one track, what more do you need?

The World Of The Plastic Beach

Empire Ants

Broken

#16

Deftones

Diamond Eyes

Welcome back Deftones. After some decidedly average albums since the sonic juggernaut that was their 2000 release "White Pony", Chino and the boys returned with a vengeance with arguably the best rock album of the year. It just goes to show that you can never count out serious talent. "Rocket Skates" came out at the end of February and the second single "Diamond Eyes" shortly afterwards, and boy was it exciting to hear them back to form.

At their best, there are few bands that can match the sheer velocity of sound that throttles you backwards. It's almost like getting punched in the face, and liking it. It's what Fight Club would sound like if it were made into music. If there's a complaint to be made it's that they've been consistently inconsistent in the quality of their live performances, but when it comes to making seriously kick-ass studio cuts of pulsing edge-of-your-seat type hard rock, these dudes are the bee's knees.

You've Seen The Butcher

Sextape

Royal

BONUS BEATS!

EDX - Hoover

I'm already reconsidering my rankings. Meh. Part 3 tomorrow.

Digitalism - Zdarlight

Today is Ashley's birthday and she's in Germany, so this is a sweet track from Digitalism. A little on the old side, but still really cool. I'll probably have to put some kind of bonus track in here somewhere too.

Digitalism - Zdarlight

BONUS BEATS!

Dave Gahan - Kingdom [Booka Shade Remix]

Almost forgot... new DIE ANTWOORD! {warning: reasonably graphic}

Booka Shade - Teenage Spaceman

It actually surprises me that I haven't posted anything by German duo Booka Shade yet, because they are definitely among my list of highly unique and influential artists that are a must-hear in the electronic genre. Their combination of technical excellence and use of harmony with alternative rhythmic patterns is really something special. This latest track is no exception. Simple but catchy, driven, and articulate, it embodies the "Booka Shade sound". This video is actually the winning entry in a contest they did, which had many many excellent submissions. I'm not sure I liked this one the best, but it's the one they picked, so here ya go.

BONUS BEATS!

Booka Shade - In White Rooms [Neo Mix]

Awesome.