Just when you thought Kanye West and Jay-Z couldn’t get any better musically, they decided to release Watch the Throne, an entire album of their collaborative efforts together. It was obvious even before that, as individual acts they are the only source for meaningful mainstream hip hop, but when they combine their styles, the result is even more incredible.

Partners in crime

Opening with the visceral “No Church in the Wild,” the tone of the album is set as being extremely political and often lyrically provocative. Of course, what would anything Jay-Z related be without contributing vocals from Beyoncé, which appear on “Lift Off”? The first few songs on Watch the Throne, in fact, are much more dominant on Jay-Z’s part, with Kanye’s voice demure (relatively speaking) on tracks like “Ni*%as in Paris” and “Gotta Have It” (though the beat on “Gotta Have It” is distinctly Kanye).

Video still from "Otis"

Kanye’s standard form of unrelenting honesty is especially heightened on “New Day” when he talks about how he is going to raise his future son, affirming–with his typical brand of tongue in cheek–”I mean I might even make him be Republican so everybody know he love white people.” The track following “New Day,” “That’s My Bitch,” is arguably the best on the album. Jay-Z’s voice is once again prominent as he comments on the prevalence of white women as the norm for what men are supposed to consider beautiful:

“I mean Marilyn Monroe she’s quite nice, but why all the pretty icons always all white?”

"Who Gon Stop Us?"

“Murder to Excellence” is another standout track for its lyrics. Opening with a chilling high-pitched vocal harmonization, the song drives home the overall message of “Black excellence, truly yours.” “Made in America” is perhaps the most disappointing offering on Watch the Throne, both in terms of music and lyrics, smattering together the names of historical black figures with the repetition of “Sweet baby Jesus.”

The understated opulence of the Watch the Throne album cover

As the album winds down, the sound shifts slightly to a more rock-tinged beat, as on “Why I Love You” and “Illest Motherfucker Alive,” reverting back to its original modulations on “H*a*m.” Jay-Z still manages to take all of the good lyrics, including “I played chicken with a Mack truck” and the usual referral to his Bed-Stuy days with “See the shit I saw growing up.”

So happy together.

What Watch the Throne will leave you feeling is the desire for Jay-Z and Kanye West to always collaborate. I get the sense that this is just a glimmer of the musical magic they are capable of making together. Until then, look out for The Throne Tour in the fall.

(June 27, 2011 – New York, NY) 14-time Grammy-winner (and 30-time Grammy nominee) Kanye West’s independent record label G.O.O.D. Music, has been signed to an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with the Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG).  The announcement was made today by Kanye West, Barry Weiss, Chairman & CEO of Universal Motown Republic Group (UMRG) and Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) and Steve Bartels, President & COO, Island Def Jam Music Group.

The first release under terms of the new agreement will be FINALLY FAMOUS, the official debut by Detroit rapper Big Sean, arriving in stores June 28th.  The album, executive produced by Kanye West, has already spun off G.O.O.D.’s first bonafide hit single, “My Last” featuring Chris Brown.  The track is #1 on the Billboard Rap Songs chart, and #4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

A protégé of Kanye West, 22-year old Big Sean (Sean Anderson) was signed when he was still a teenager.  Big Sean is now the flagship artist on the G.O.O.D. Music roster.  Kanye West will continue to serve as a core recording artist at Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Recordings.

“G.O.O.D. Music is an exciting new chapter in the long and successful association of Kanye West and Island Def Jam,” said Mr. Weiss.  “As a recording artist and a producer over the past eight years, there is no one who has made a greater impression on the game than Kanye.  We look forward to working closely with the new and established artists that he will be bringing to G.O.O.D. Music, which is already off to an impressive start with Big Sean.”

“Kanye’s genius has been proven time and time again on records and onstage,” said Mr. Bartels.  “He not only pours it out for himself, but he has made the difference with his presence on innumerable projects with other artists who are indebted to him.  Kanye is an integral core member of the IDJ family, and G.O.O.D. Music continues his unselfish tradition of bringing along great new artists to the forefront.”

Kanye West is a cornerstone artist on the Def Jam roster.  His combined albums and singles have sold in excess of 20 million copies worldwide, starting with his RIAA double-platinum debut of 2004, The College Dropout, and triple-platinum follow-up of 2005, Late Registration.  The two albums spun off multiple hit singles, and generated five Grammy Awards, including consecutive wins for Best Rap Album of 2004 and 2005, as well as Best Rap Song (songwriters’ award) of 2004 (“Jesus Walks”) and 2005 (“Diamonds From Sierra Leone”), and Best Rap Solo Performance for 2005 (“Gold Digger”).  Kanye’s next album, Graduation generated another three Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Song for 2007 (“Good Life”), and (in 2008) Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance (“Stronger”).  808’s & Heartbreak (2008) was Kanye’s fourth consecutive RIAA multi-platinum-selling album.  It was followed by My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), his fifth consecutive #1 Soundscan debut, named the best album of the year by a majority of critics in the U.S. and UK.  In addition to his own records, Kanye West has been featured as a guest on countless tracks over the years, and has shared in at least six Grammy Awards for his work with other artists.

It’s really great and all that women of the late 1960s and most of the 1970s blazed a path of freedom for expression (RIP Betty Friedan and thank you to The Runaways), but why does it seem like people with vaginas are far more objectified now than they ever were circa 1940-1965? In today’s society, lyrics, images, and overall attitudes toward “ladies” are laughably offensive. And yet, back during the era of what is now looked back upon as overt sexism, men would tip their hats, say a few kind words, and even–gasp–have a conversation about something other than which orifice he was going to stick his dick in (not that this is ever usually an elaborate conversation topic).

It's hard to believe, but women were more derisive toward men in the 50s. Must have been all the repression.

Is it simply that women had this pent up need to be viewed as slutbags and men, likewise, had been waiting all this time to finally stop feigning politeness and just express their sole desire to fuck? I haven’t the foggiest idea. All I know is that in the last decade alone, the things that are permitted to slip by in the media have reached a point where nothing is shocking anymore in terms of sexual explicitness and an overall disregard for the idea that a woman might have a mind behind those big, dumb eyes staring straight at your cock. This isn’t to say that women aren’t in control of how they come across; all of the females reigning in the pop charts right now are entirely conscious of the sex-soaked image they have created. But it is to say that they are influenced by what they feel men want.

Really Katy Perry? Really?

Where dudes can definitely be blamed is in the category of lyrics. Most songs in the Top 40 at the moment feature lyrical content that would make Eleanor Roosevelt blush and then burst into flames. Some examples include: “I’ma disrobe you then I’ma probe you” (courtesy of Kanye West in “E.T.”), “All I need is some vodka and some coke and watch, she gon’ get donkey konged (courtesy of Pitbull in “On the Floor”), and “I heard you good with them soft lips…the things that we can do in twenty minutes girl” (courtesy of Drake in “What’s My Name?”). Look, I’m all for parading your sexual whims, but does it all have to be phrased in such a goddamn crass manner?

This is where the feminist revolution has led.

Of course, both periods of time–now and then–have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of how women are perceived, but, in the vague defense of “then,” at least ads like the one below were to be expected. The nature of how women are viewed hasn’t really changed, it’s just become repackaged for twenty-first century consumption.

A precursor to most rap videos.

Alright, we’re inching our way to the close of this little countdown. Getting a smidge exciting, no? Well anyway, let’s get on with it, shall we? And please don’t mind if my descriptions this time around are a bit odd, as it’s six in the morning, and I’ve been drinking. Speaking of which, I hope everyone had a happy new year!

40. Tyler, The Creator – Bastard

This one is cheating a bit, seeing as it was released on Christmas day of last year, but fuck it – I didn’t get around to hearing this rather recently, and it’s some of the best underground hip-hop you’re likely to hear in 2010. The dark, wicked synth-led beats and relentless, smart wordplay-ridden flow of this album is impressive enough without taking into consideration that this guy was eighteen when he wrote and recorded it. Then there’s the extremely dark sense of humor all throughout, which tackles just about every unpleasant topic from deadbeat dads to anal rape with a knowing smirk. And let’s not lie to ourselves, we all love deadbeat dads and anal rape.

Recommended track: Seven

39. Four Tet – There Is Love in You

When’s the last time that a nine minute single kept you gripped for its entire duration? The two notes that lead the scant main hook of Love Cry are startlingly effective, and that’s scarcely where Kieran Hebden’s massively successful minimalistic approach begins. Chopped up female samples, warm, seductive synths, and lively beats are abound here, and it’s so much catchier and more fun than an… ugh… “IDM” release should be.

Recommended track: Angel Echoes

38. Warpaint – The Fool

Never has such a huge, shimmering sound come across as this intimate. The atmosphere of Warpaint’s full-length debut is such that it threatens to swallow you whole at any given moment, all while striking a marvelous balance between hazy psychedelia and alluring pop. The Fool also serves as evidence that music doesn’t necessarily need release or a climax, as it never really goes anywhere, but is somehow all the better for it.

Recommended track: Majesty

37. Vampire Weekend – Contra

Ah yes, the band that isn’t hip to like because Pitchfork fellates them repeatedly. Well I, for one, would like to step around the kneeling online publication and pat the band on the back, because this is great shit. The band has really run off with their “what if Paul Simon and Fela Kuti were in an indie rock band?” notion and are getting progressively more unique, without losing any of their pop sensibilities. Contra is such a feel-good affair that it leaves me puzzled over the subset of music fans who are deliberately not liking this.

Recommended track: Cousins

36. Gonjasufi – A Sufi and a Killer

Speaking of unique, that’s one of the most appropriate words I can muster for this astoundingly eclectic album. Yet for all its diverse influences, A Sufi and a Killer channels them all through a crackling psychedelia that comes out sounding dirtier than the man’s dreadlocks look. Just under twenty tracks fly by, utterly demolishing musical styles ranging from blue-eyed soul, disco, funk, and classic rock. As I said in my review of this earlier in the year, I’m hardly a vinyl enthusiast, but this is an album I would love to hear on a record.

Recommended track: She Gone

35. Dangers – Messy, Isn’t It?

If seething, excessive rage has ever been better paired with fresh ideas on tweaking the hardcore formula than on Dangers’ second album, I am yet to hear it. Right from the opening scream of “Why didn’t you kill yourself today?” the band’s attack mercilessly batters you with its furious commentary on popular music, general complacency, modern romance (“If meat is murder, what the fuck is love” gets me every time), and the like. The sheer intensity of this album shines through on even its more experimental moments, like the off beat of Under the Affluence or the creeping and darkly funny Cure for AIDS (“YOU ARE GOING TO DIE”). Messy, Isn’t It? is the year’s friendly reminder that yes, shit still sucks.

Recommended track: I’ll Clap When I’m Impressed

34. More Than Life – Love Let Me Go

More Than Life’s full-length debut is energetic and unapologetically emotional, with the ear catching riffs almost matching the vocals in how damned passionate they are. Jane Doe it’s not, but Love Let Me Go captures post-break up frustration exquisitely, with agonizing screams raging on over the surprisingly dynamic music with an incredibly genuine emotional weight to it. Definitely a must-hear for anyone with even a passing interest in melodic hardcore.

Recommended track: The First Night of Autumn

33. iTAL tEK – Midnight Colour

Without a doubt, the dubstep album of 2010. Midnight Colour explores every facet of the genre and much more, embracing bass and shuffling beats as well as deep, melodic electronica, and all with an indescribably futuristic sound. And with as dynamic as this album is, everything comes together wonderfully, with a superb flow and consistently gorgeous quality that makes the highly rewarding repeat listening a pleasure and a half.

Recommended track: Moment in Blue

32. Ghostface Killah – Apollo Kids

The first of two albums here that made me glad I waited until December’s end to compile this ridiculous list. Just like Raekwon’s Cuban Links II from last year, Ghostface’s new LP is a reminder of just how great the Wu-Tang alumni are still capable of being (a most welcome one at that, coming after the somewhat disappointing Wu Massacre). Ghostface’s trademark soul samples are all over the place along with his fast and furious flow, and some spectacular guest appearances (Busta Rhymes in particular absolutely kills his verse in the funky Superstar).

Recommended track: Black Tequila

31. Caribou – Swim

Dan Snaith continues his remarkable winning streak with this spectacular, drugged out journey of an album. Everything is so warm and spaced out that it actually feels like some sort of psilocybin simulation (and yes, this is a hell of an LP to listen to while you’re bakin’), from the psychedelic head-bobbing Sun to the made-for-giant-headphones Hannibal. There’s also a very well balanced focus on both details and densely packed layers as well as melody, which makes for a rewarding as well as fun listen. Especially if you’re high.

Recommended track: Kaili

30. Swans – My Father Will Guide Me a Rope Up to the Sky

If only every comeback could be this good! Michael Gira picks up right where he left off fifteen years ago, with his own unique brand of powerful and eerie music. It’s so impressive how heavy this thing is in such creative ways – acoustic ballads should not sound as crushing as grinding blast outs like My Birth.. not to mention the ways in which it’s achieved, like the near-nausea inducing finale of You Fucking People Make Me Sick – beautifully disturbing.

Recommended track: Reeling the Liars In

29. Holy Fuck – Latin

Throwing a bunch of crap together and hoping for the best has never sounded so good. When the throbbing beat in P.I.G.S. subsides just for a brief, downright euphoric segue, it really shouldn’t work at all, but it does. Pounding drums backing a combination of a simple piano melody and a playful synth? A relentless drone intro paired with a choppy excursion into funk? It’s as effective as it is random, and so irresistibly weird that you can’t help hitting that repeat button, wondering what the hell you just heard.

Recommended track: Latin America

28. The Black Keys – Brothers

The exceptionally consistent Black Keys are back with another helping of their trademark bluesy rock, but this time around with a healthy heap of soul. Brothers (at least I think that’s what it’s called, it doesn’t say on the album cover) is chock full of groove and an impressive range – strutters like Howlin’ for You go oddly well with smooth, sexy tracks like The Only One. With all the bands trying to replicate that old fashioned dirty and bluesy rock style, The Black Keys are far and away doing it the best.

Recommended track: Everlasting Light

27. High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine

Behold; the almighty riff. Okay, that was unbelievably cheesy, but that’s all this album leaves me able to think. Matt Pike could well be the new master of the riff (the legendary Tony Iommi himself is a huge fan), crafting some extremely catchy ones to make this band’s thundering, grinding goodness accessible to even those not predisposed to sludge metal. Epic build ups, raw vocals, and of course that towering guitar all make High on Fire’s latest one of the finest examples of metal around.

Recommended track: Frost Hammer

26. Silje Nes – Opticks

Norwegian singer/songwriter Silje Nes’ debut is as simplistic as it is relentlessly gorgeous. The composition consists of her vocals and lightly plucked guitar, but with warming electronic flourishes in the background that help the already lovely melodies swell to absurd heights. The result is an exquisitely beautiful set of tracks that almost brings to mind a more minimal minded Sigur Rós.

Recommended track: Crystals

25. Little Women – Throat

Now we go from beautiful to its exact opposite in Little Women’s full-length debut. Throat rivals even the great John Zorn’s Naked City in its creatively chaotic approach to bringing jazz and noise together, by turns progressive and ferocious. All around though, Throats is a very challenging listen that certainly won’t appeal to everybody, but chances are that those who are charmed by its raging saxophones and guitars will have quite the love affair.

Recommended track: Throat IV

24. Dark Time Sunshine – Vessel

Another record that flew under the radar, Dark Time Sunshine’s Vessel is such an impressive album as to actually broaden the very idea of what hip-hop is capable of. Like pioneers Company Flow and Aesop Rock before them, the duo presents a fantastic collection of forward thinking beats (courtesy of producer Zavala) as well as a unique flow and captivating storytelling (courtesy of MC Onry Ozzborne), simultaneously harking back to golden age hip-hop and looking ahead with fresh ideas – it’s even immediate and catchy enough to be enjoyable for fans of the underground and mainstream alike.

Recommended track: Little Or No Concern

23. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

What’s even more stunning than these deep, cleverly emotive lyrics and wonderful melodies and instrumentation is that someone so young put it all together. At a tender twenty years of age, Laura Marling has blown just about every other folk album of the year out of the water with her extraordinary sophomore release. The texture and emotion in her voice belies her age, as well as her ability to make obscure mythological references parallel to her own personal trials (He Wrote, for example). It’s all the best things about folk wrapped up in a pretty young girl – what’s not to love?

Recommended track: I Speak Because I Can

22. Eluvium – Similes

It’s unfortunate that Similes will be doomed to comparisons to Copia, Eluvium’s (or simply Matthew Cooper) last outing, as this is fantastic stuff. Deeply affecting post-rock with an almost poppy heart to it, Similes has a different kind of warmth to it than its predecessor, but it’s every bit as gorgeous and easy to enjoy. The addition of vocals this time around doesn’t seem particularly inspired so much as a natural extension of the man’s sound, with Cooper still gracefully building up on beautiful melodies as well as he ever has.

Recommended track: The Motion Makes Me Last

21. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

What can be said about this album that hasn’t already been said? Hell, even THAT’S probably already been said. Forget the flooring ambition that this is rife with; forget the stellar guest spots, the broad instrumentation, the mesmerizing beats, the brilliant sampling (“LOOKATCHA!”), and even the fantastic lyrics and wordplay. Just consider for a moment that the owner of one of the biggest, most obnoxious egos in music today had the balls to lower that facade, if only for slightly over an hour, and agree with all his detractors. And sound fucking amazing while doing it.

Recommended track: Monster

As 2010 draws to a close, I feel obligated, as a blogger-slash-”music journalist”, to stand atop my Internet soapbox and tell you, the Web-surfing public, what I deem to be the year’s highest achievements in music.

2010 was a year of absurd hype (Kanye West) for various musical projects, and some of them lived up to the hype, incredibly. Others failed. But since I try to keep an optimistic leaning to my writing, I offer you this list of my top albums of the year, in no particular order. Let’s get started!

Fang Island – Fang Island

If you were looking for an album that will inspire you to high-five strangers on the subway, then search no more. The band’s debut on Sargent House Records is absolute bliss: energetic, upbeat, and absurdly fun, with relentlessly catchy guitars and sporadic vocals that often appear in a chorus, creating a euphoric sound that, frankly, sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard. The album begins and ends with fireworks, a fitting bookend to a collection of songs that capture the joy and celebratory nature of music.

Deftones – Diamond Eyes

When bassist Chi Cheng was in a terrible car accident in November 2008 and Deftones subsequently scrapped their in-progress album Eros, it was easy to assume the band would never release another album. Suffering a tragedy like that would take the wind out of most bands’ sails. True to their nature as enduring, passionate pioneers, Deftones re-grouped and wrote Diamond Eyes, arguably one of their strongest albums to date. While the production by Nick Raskulinecz mucks things up a bit, the album still made its way on this list. Chino Moreno‘s fury and trademark soft/quiet singing style are on full display here, and allows Diamond Eyes to basically serve as a fantastic “comeback” record for a band whose future was questionable just a couple of years ago.

Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz

When my friend (who admittedly holds Weezer‘s opus Pinkerton close to her heart)  tipped me off to this album by calling it “What Weezer could have been after Pinkerton”, I nearly spit out my PBR. That got my attention, to say the least.

I generally hate the things that trendy tastemakers like Pitchfork cream their pants over, but this time they’re on the right track. They gave this record an obscenely high grade of 10.0 (a grade normally reserved for only Radiohead albums). While that may be a tad too much, this album is flat-out DRUGS, in the best way possible. The mindfuckery that Stevens releases on this record is a far cry from his usual jangly acoustic quirk-pop. And yet, somehow, it works exceedingly well, in a Talking Heads-kind of way. It sounds as if Sufjan traded in his guitars for space keyboards and a trunk full of illicit drugs, and that’s BEFORE you get to the breahtaking 25-minute album capper Impossible Soul. It’s really a mini-album itself, and combined with the other songs on the record Sufjan has really created his “masterwork”. That’s really saying a lot for me, considering I hate that term.

So yeah, buy this record, turn off the lights (or leave them on, I’m not your boss) and let this album make you its bitch like it did to me.

The Black Keys – Brothers

If you hadn’t heard much from the Black Keys before 2010, chances are you have by now. This was their “breakout” record, used in quotes since “breakout” here means “album that put their songs on the radio and TV ads”. I can probably say I’ve heard Tighten Up hundreds of times on the radio in the past five months, and I don’t even listen to the radio.

The album, a true, authentic, rock & roll record, packs more grit and sleazy rhythm into fifteen songs than most bands do in their careers. And while Never Gonna Give You Up sadly isn’t a Rick Astley cover, its slow burn and singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach‘s sensual vocals make up for it.

I’d been a casual Black Keys fan before 2010, respecting their records but not really appreciating them for the visionary dudes they are, but with Brothers, I have finally come full circle.

Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns

Yes, yes, I know you’re ready to click out of this page because I’m offending you with Linkin Park. Yes, I know, nu-metal sucks. I know, Linkin Park is trendy and popular. Yes, I know, any self-respecting and customarily snobbish music critic (such as I consider myself) should have NO PART in saying anything positive about Linkin Park, because they suck or whatever.

But the fact of the matter is, A Thousand Suns is a fantastic record.

Mostly leaving behind the angsty rap/rock sound that catapulted them to stadiums around the world, LP instead decided to challenge themselves and create something that stands alone on its own, which this album definitely does. It’s long, has a bunch of interludes and only nine real “songs” (most being midtempo and atmospheric), but the end product is a cohesive experience that would be considered on most “Best of 2010″ lists were it by anyone other than Linkin Park, a band everyone loves to hate.

If you already hated LP, you probably won’t ever come around, and that’s fine. That’s, like, your opinion, man, and you’re entitled to it.

But if that bias keeps you from enjoying A Thousand Suns, then too bad for you.

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

2010 was a huge year for this upstart British group, with the single Little Lion Man getting all kinds of airplay on the radio in the past few months. They basically employ the same formula as Fleet Foxes, the hush-quiet acoustic folk thing combined with incredible vocals (sometimes group vocals) and a quiet energy that builds and builds into sonic explosions of passion and emotion.

Besides Little Lion Man, songs like Thistle & Weeds and The Cave really make this album shine, and cemented its place on this list.

I’m eager to hear what they do as a follow-up.

Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

This album is a monster.

I’ve always been indifferent regarding Mr. West, usually thinking he was “okay” while getting annoyed by his insane ego and self-absorption. When this album was being hyped by the Internet to levels not seen since…well, the last Kanye record, my interest increased slightly, if only to see if the album would possibly live up to such lofty expectations.

Then, he signed up for Twitter and posted updates about emotional fonts and small-ass jets. The other insane Tweets that followed helped promote the album fantastically, as he seemed more and more out of his mind.

Then, the album actually dropped, and everyone ate it up. Because it’s delicious.

Tracks like the 6-minute star-studded Monster, the insanely addictive All of the Lights (with Rihanna on vocal hook duty), and the Auto-Tune loneliness jam Lost in the World make this album more of a “game-changer” type of album than a “hip-hop” album.

Calling this record a “hip-hop” album is like calling Radiohead albums “BritPop” albums. Not applicable.

And no, I’m not equating Kanye West with Radiohead, although both have been featured in classic South Park episodes….

Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue

Much more of a “project” than “album”, Lonely Avenue pits piano man and amazing songwriter Ben Folds with British author Nick Hornby (he wrote High Fidelity, for one). They combined their efforts, with Folds writing music to accompany Hornby’s words, the whole thing adding up to form a story. The deluxe version of the album even comes with an illustrated book, so this whole thing is really neat.

Folds is at his best, doing his quirky piano melodies thing, and Hornby’s lyrics add satire and social commentary to everything. The two of them are a great duo, working well of of each other’s strengths as artists, and that shines through on Lonely Avenue.

Oh, and check out Levi Johnston’s Blues,  a song from the perspective of Bristol Palin’s one-time fiance (and baby daddy). Yay, satire!

Jamiroquai – Rock Dust Light Star

2010 marked the return of Jamiroquai, ending a 5 year absence with Rock Dust Light Star. The record, the first since 2005′s Dynamite, finds front man/focal point of the group Jay Kay at his best. Songs like White Knuckle Ride, Smoke & Mirrors, Hurtin’, She’s a Fast Persuader, and Hey Floyd are destined to incite many a dance party (or head-bob if you’re listening to it alone).

The album hasn’t found a distributor in the USA yet, but I hope that doesn’t hurt Jamiroquai’s chances of releasing it and (hopefully) playing a set at Coachella next April. I can only hope.

Portugal. the Man – American Ghetto

Their sixth album in six years, experimental indie rockers Portugal. The Man released American Ghetto in 2010 as their last album before graduating to Atlantic Records.

Every Portugal record is great, but American Ghetto is one of the more impressive ones. The songs transition seamlessly into each other, from the enthralling The Dead Dog all the way until the MGMT-ish album closer When the War Ends.

I can only imagine how great their upcoming record (and Atlantic Records debut) will be. If they build upon the growth shown throughout their amazing career thus far, it will probably find itself on my Best of 2011 list as well.

Honorable Mentions

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

While I did drink the Kanye Kool-Aid in 2010, I still haven’t quite grasped the “amazingness” of Arcade Fire. That said, The Suburbs is impressive, if overlong. Songs like Ready to Start and Rococo are good examples of why this band gets so much damn attention, but they just don’t put me into “OMG BEST BAND EVER” mode like they do to everyone else. Still, great record.

Weezer – Hurley

Despite the ridiculous cover image, Hurley blew me away, considering I was expecting another “new school” Weezer album – that is, silly pop songs about Los Angeles, party anthems featuring overrated rappers, and a general disregard for the things that made Weezer Weezer.

And yet, somehow, Hurley reminded me of why I ever liked them in the first place. Songs like Unspoken, Hang On, Ruling Me, and Memories are vintage Weezer tracks, and it was great to hear them go back to basics and revisit their glory days.

Eminem – Recovery

Em returned to form in 2010, releasing Recovery, his best record in a long time. He went through some stuff, got over it, ditched the moronic character voices he used, and put out a solid album of songs.

He hadn’t gone anywhere, he just had to fix his shit and get back out there. Now, he’s back in the spotlight, and it’s because of the quality of this record.

The Sword – Warp Riders

These stoner metal gods released a concept record in 2010 about “inhaling deeply of the sacred smoke” on a planet divided, and the protagonist’s battles with the “Chronomancer” and other such ridiculousness.

Not only does the story amuse, but the songs are brutal, sludgy rock awesomeness.

One of the better rock releases in 2010, and arguably the best rock space opera stoner metal concept album ever.

The Budos Band – III

I first discovered this band at 2 am at a party on Halloween, as fatigue-inspired hallucinations set in.

This group’s amazing instrumental jazz/world beat fusion translates very well on record, and I imagine their live show is one big hip-shaking party. There’s no singing, but they don’t need any. The brass and sexy grooves more than make up for it.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album when I heard it, so much so that it ended up on this list.

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So that’s my list, take it or leave it. And leave comments if you want to call me an idiot/jerk/asshole/moron/genius/gay fish, I mean, that’s what the Internet is all about.

How exciting that even now, while we’re so close to the year’s end, there is STILL such phenomenal music being released at every turn – which is why I’ve still got a shred of hope in me that Radiohead will end up capping the year with their promised new album that has been drooled over for some time, now. In any case, here’s a quick run-through of my top tracks for November; as usual, please feel free to include your own favorite tracks of the month. Aaaand let’s get on with it.

Daft Punk – Derezzed

The legendary house duo may not have seemed the obvious choice to score the upcoming Tron: Legacy, but as they display here, it’s rather unlikely that anybody else could’ve done it better. Derezzed is basically Daft Punk toying with a simplistic, futuristic beat for just under two minutes, and it absolutely screams Tron. The whole soundtrack is rather impressive, but it’s the moments like these where they let their electronic sensibilities take the forefront that it really shines. This track is doesn’t even come close to wearing out its welcome; it’s fun, addictive, and most importantly, it makes me want to see the shit out of this movie.

PJ Harvey – Written on the Forehead

Probably the most criminally unsung musical chameleon around, the new song off of PJ Harvey’s upcoming tenth LP shows yet another drastic change in direction, and once again it sounds great. The highly visual lyrics detail the horrific aftermath of war, but with a lightly treated vocal that sounds utterly beautiful over the hazy guitars, rhodes piano, additional vocal samples, and upbeat drums. It’s oddly sad but uplifting, and it’s got my expectations for the new album ridiculously high.

Jamiroquai – Never Gonna Be Another

While there was certainly nothing wrong with Jamiroquai’s last few rather dance-heavy albums, the second half of their latest, Rock Dust Light Star, is a most welcome display of just how diverse this band’s sound really is, with Never Gonna Be Another being the peak for me. Bluesy and longing, but managing to sound more soothing than depressing, Jay Kay beautifully mourns the loss of a lover over tastefully sparse keys, guitar, and of course that ever-present bass. It was fairly difficult choosing which song to include off of this album, but the more i listen to this smoky, downtempo gem, the more I fall in love with it.

Rihanna – S&M

Rihanna really puts her best foot forward on her latest album, kicking off with this banger of a track. S&M drips with an unabashed sexuality that never comes across as classless, and let’s not forget the maddeningly sing-a-long melodies and that delightful nod to The Cure’s Let’s Go to Bed. The confident and upbeat songs like this off of Loud probably do the best job of showing just how well Rihanna is coming into her own.

Hercules and Love Affair – My House

Andy Butler and co. have got the follow-up to their excellent debut just around the corner, and My House – a slab of old fashioned disco house, livened up with a series of dirty glitches – is the taster. And it tastes damned good, let me tell you. It’s always so remarkable when an artist can take such a dated sound and make it sound fresh, and if My House‘s ability to walk the line between fun and cheesy is any indication, the upcoming Blue Songs is going to be fantastic.

Kid Cudi – Mr. Rager

Now here was a pleasant surprise – while Man on the Moon 2 is by no means perfect, it shadows its predecessor simply because Scott Mescudi has gotten better at embracing his strengths. On tracks like this one, he absolutely nails it with the production, the harmonization, and themes of loneliness and alienation, without indulging in any one quality too much. His listless vocal and the intricate, downtrodden beat go together perfectly, and unlike several moments on his debut, it never goes over the top.

Home Video – The Automatic Process

The title track off of Home Video’s long awaited new album starts out with what sounds like a typical euro-trash hook, but the way it’s built upon is truly remarkable. Even with the band’s notoriously minimalistic style, vocalist Collin Ruffino’s voice is weighed down with unmistakable despair, which in a recent interview he chalked up as an attempt to reflect the current state of the world through personal struggle. Once the snare drum and guitar kick, the song just takes off, and you can really feel what Ruffino is trying to express.

Iron & Wine – Walking Far from Home

Yet another tantalizing new single hinting at greatness to come, Walking Far from Home shows Sam Beam trying on a new sound, keeping the band behind him and dropping the intimate, potentially haunting aura that he’s been known for through his career. Walking hinges more on its lyrics than the cleverly progressing music, though – it’s very impressive how Beam draws out such intense introspection from merely observing (Sam Beam? Yup! Just sits there all day, singin’ about what he sees…), and with how Sufjan Stevens branched out so brilliantly this year, it’ll be interesting to see what Beam’s got up his sleeve.

Kanye West – So Appalled

Kanye and his slew of guests (who, even without the RZA’s quick appearance near the track’s conclusion, all display a trade-off worthy of comparison to the Wu-Tang Clan) all say it best – this song is fucking ridiculous. Everybody does such a great job (Jay-Z’s verse in particular is excellent), and Kanye really outdid himself with the beat; it has this intense air of paranoia about it and doesn’t let up once throughout its six-plus minute length. Just another example of why this album is far and away the best thing the man’s ever done.

The National – You Were a Kindness

The reissue of The National’s jaw-dropping album High Violet has a good number of previously unreleased tracks to boast, with You Were a Kindness resting easy at the top of the heap. Yet another tale of mourning over a departed lover, Matt Berninger delivers one devastating line after another (“I was careful, but nothing is harmless,” “Why would you shatter somebody like me,” “It doesn’t work that way, don’t leave me here alone,” etc.) with the band’s gorgeous harmonization backing him up along with a somber piano, guitars, and (I think?) an organ. This one is a heartbreaker, plain and simple.

I’ve spent a long time over the past few weeks trying to determine what role Kanye West plays in the mighty hip hop royalty family. Why he doesn’t quite fit into the normal hierarchy, Kanye West of more of the Lord Baron of hip hop, with a firm grasp on his kingdoms’ craft. This dark lord brings his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to the table today, and it may just be his best work yet.

Let the BaRFing begin!

BEATS: 9/10

It’s only right that all the shit Kanye talks is properly backed up. He’s been flipping the world off for a long time, telling us that he knows he’s the best, and I have to give credit where it’s due; the beats are definitely some of the best I’ve heard this year.

Gorgeous is the second track on the album, and really got the guitar right, without sounding like a rap/rock collaboration was forced upon it. The chorus following the guitars, with a light piano dressing and hip hop drums sprinkled on top was a hell of an appetizer for the rest of the album.

The third track was so damn catchy, and caused such a stir with its imagery; POWER was my first favorite. The chanting women I wasn’t sure about to begin with, but sooner or later, I found myself chanting along, with the bass beats vibrating the room.

By far though, the best beat on the album is the seventh track, So Appalled. The strings were beautifully put together, with the heavy bass hits, the vox-filtered yelping, and spaced out noises, this didn’t climb the top of my list; it flew.

RHYMES: 7.5/10

While not usually known for his subtle words, Kanye impressed me on this one. I can’t put a finger on what songs I loved the best really, but I felt like Kanye has grown up. Turns out the huge amount of tweets he puts out in ALL CAPS every day were for a reason.

Kanye is like a hip hop version of the current affairs, telling us “The systems broken/the schools close/ the prisons’ open” from his hit track POWER. He talks about love in his track with John Legend, Blame Game, talking about the very real arguments we go through in our weaker moments. He even admits to his many faults in the ballerina ballad, Runaway. While some may say it was a cheesy song, I really did feel like it was honest.

FEATURETTES: 9/10

I was a big fan of all the contributors on the album on both the producer and singer credits, with Kanye’s mentor, No I.D., penning two of my favorite track on the album.

Emperor Hova took time out to respond to the MC Hammer beef (which btw, what the hell is Hammer thinking?) on So Appalled, and instantly put the issue to rest whilst talking about the recent 30 million dollars he just spent. Owned.

Fresh from her recent album, Princess Rihanna joined in for the beautiful chorus of track five, All of the Lights. I’ve developed a lot of respect for her this year, with good feature roles, and an even greater album that just came out this month as well. Combine that with Nikki Minaj on Monster, and we have an even bigger winning album.

The best collaboration was obviously on So Appalled. Jay-Z, Pusha T, Prynce Cy Hi, Swizz Beatz and the RZA make a supergroup worthy appearance. RZA was the biggest surprise, coming in for a few bars towards the end of the track. I feel like this was a nod to Kanye being the next hit maker of the beat world.

For the new Kanye listeners (is that even possible) this is his best work yet, or at the very least, on par with his first album. For the old listeners, do you feel like Kanye is making a step in the right direction? Sound off in the comments, and go get the album ASAP!!

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

For anyone who has ever had the good fortune of briefly possessing a burgeoning bank account and, resultantly, being able to see Madonna live, you know that it is a sight that warrants the loss of all funds. Because when Madonna does something, she fucking does something. Where all other imitators have irrefutably failed is in the touring spectrum (yes, even the much touted Monster Ball tour). As M says in the behind the scenes footage of the tour, she will always inevitably be drawn back to the grueling grind of touring, regardless of her avowals never to go through it again, claiming, “I’m a gypsy at heart.” Two years after the tour actually took place, the DVD is finally here to remind us of yet another pivotal moment in the career of a seemingly ageless pop star (I’m choosing to ignore Gawker’s latest epithet for her as a “Crimean war survivor.” I have to give credit for the regenerative insult though).

Advert for the Sticky and Sweet Tour

While I have never wavered in my devoutness to the Queen, I have admitted when certain professional choices have left me in a state of bafflement (Gap ads, exalting the names of Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, doing a duet with Ricky Martin, and having her last album produced by a slew of names that M previously would have turned her nose up at in favor of promoting someone with a more original sound, as in the Stephen Bray, Shep Pettibone, William Orbit days). It took me some time to come to grips with the idea that Madonna is a very of the moment person. While many have been led to believe that she is the one to stay ahead of the curve, her real skill lies in being unabashed about contracting a trend and making it her own. That is probably why The Sticky and Sweet Tour is so chock full of performance cameos, including (why, Madonna, why?) Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West (onscreen), and, somewhat more esoterically, Eugene Hutz from Gogol Bordello.

Madonna performs "Human Nature" with legendary train wreck Spears as her backdrop, just one example of M's fondness of melding with the present

The setlist for the 2008 Sticky and Sweet Tour were not quite as pleasing as if, say, Live Nation and Warner Brothers had chosen to use the setlist from the 2009 Sticky and Sweet Tour, which included a fucking amazing version of “Frozen,” switched out “Heartbeat” and “Borderline” in favor of “Holiday” and “Dress You Up,” and showed Madonna paying homage to the then recently deceased Michael Jackson.

DVD cover for the tour

Apart from choosing the 2008 version of the tour, the only other somewhat disappointing factor in the S&S release is the accompanying music component (I can’t really call it an accompanying CD because no one buys anything in tangible form). The songs that were chosen to be on the, fuck it, I’ll just say it: CD. As I was saying, the songs that were chosen to be on the CD leave out some of the best live renditions, namely the interlude remix of “Die Another Day,” “Into the Groove,” and “Miles Away” (the most shocking omission of all). The first of the aforementioned tracks appear on the supplement for I’m Going To Tell You A Secret, the documentary chronicling the 2004 Reinvention Tour. There are fewer extras on the DVD for Sticky and Sweet than on IGTTYAS or the Confessions Tour, but it somehow leaves you more fulfilled, and also wondering how Madonna kept herself from making a comment about one of her crew members wearing a Meat Is Murder shirt, considering Morrissey’s ire for the Detroit Diva is widely known.

Madonna with longtime manager/friend/supporter/tour photographer Guy Oseary

Although Madonna’s tours continue to set the bar for annoying wannabes who shouldn’t even try, there will never again be the same fearlessness she used to have in daring to be obscure. This is a woman who wore cone bras and referenced Metropolis and A Clockwork Orange in The Blond Ambition Tour. And while S&S incorporated a few moments of abstruse pop culture, such as Keith Haring artwork throughout “Into the Groove” and recycling the forgettable early 80s R&B song “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life,” there is a more pronounced level of safety in M’s choices. Now, her primary concern is relevance, which it really needn’t be as her rank in pop music is immoveable.

Once having listened to Scott Mescudi’s (a.k.a. Kid Cudi) debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, it’s easy to believe that he had a part in Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak last year; it’s got the same amalgam of electronic influences as well as dealing with the same somewhat morose subject matter. Kid Cudi is able to avoid immediate comparison to West’s last album thanks to a broader assortment of influences and sounds, which could be in part thanks to the larger number of collaborators.

Kid Cudi's impression of McDonald's eighties mascot, Mac Tonight

While Kid Cudi’s debut is definitely impressive, it hits a number of snags. One big thing is Common’s completely unnecessary narration, which appears at random. It’s as though Mescudi feared that the unity among the tracks as far as the production and lyrics were concerned wasn’t enough to make the album feel conceptual, so lines for a narrator were tacked on between certain songs. It doesn’t flow, and doesn’t feel genuine; it only serves to disrupt Man on the Moon’s momentum. Speaking of flow, another issue is that Kid Cudi barely has one. This isn’t exactly crippling, as the vocal patterns are very well constructed, but his voice is caught awkwardly betwixt singing, rapping, and talking voices, not really registering as any of these. Lyrically, while Mescudi certainly can’t be accused of being empty or bereft of feeling, as there’s a lot of that here, more often than not he sacrifices any sense of poetry for directness to the point of coming across as self pitying. Up Up & Away is an unfortunate example of this, with the embittered cheerleader-esque refrain “They gon’ judge me anyway, so WHATEVER.”

Jinkies, yo!

Issues are indeed abound in Man on the Moon, but as mentioned before, the album is far from a flop. One of the record’s best qualities is the production; not only is it fairly diverse, but the elaborate construction in many cases is remarkably accomplished. The best moments come when Kid Cudi runs with the spacey feel that underlies the album; on Alive and Pursuit of Happiness in particular, both helmed by indie electronic outfit Ratatat (with help from MGMT on the latter track), the beats are trippy while with an alluring, head bobbing rhythm. Pursuit‘s music is also a perfect match for the deformed hope in the lyrics, psychedelic with a hint of sadness.

Soundtrack 2 My Life is a perfect example of how capable the melodies are. The vocal harmony is so compelling that the cheesy Charles in Charge reference, Jay-Z quoting, and dramatic lines like, “it’s close to go and trying some coke, and a happy ending would be slitting my throat” are barely distracting. The following Simple As… has a beautifully layered intro and startlingly clever wordplay (“as simple as that for your simple ass”), and the piano leading along the heavy synths and Mescudi’s bitter lyrics is absolutely beautiful. Great as these moments are, the highlight has to be Kid Cudi and Kanye West’s send up of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face on Make Her Say, which carries an amusing energy on par with The Roots’ single Birthday Girl.

Man on the Moon fumbles a bit at the end with the generic slow jam sound of Hyyerr as well as Common popping up once more to conclude his narration, but the album doesn’t quite end on a sour note. Kid Cudi is able to largely live up to the hype that has surrounded him for the past year, and his interesting perspectives on the genre will no doubt yield even better works in the future.

I’ve been listening to this album repeatedly for the last ten hours or so, trying to figure out where to start with this review. Finding a direction to where the richest and (disputably) best rapper alive’s album is going was taxing. But after much deliberation, I think it’s safe to say that not only is he at the top of his game, but also has been meditation on his evolution.

People have been saying that this is Jay-Z’s last album, but of course I’m going to throw that notion potion out the window. So let’s get to the nitty gritty, and BaRF on this album; something I haven’t done in quite some time now. What better album than this?

Beats 8/10

I honestly think the rumor of Timbaland producing the entire album would have been great…if it were true. While most the beats had me bobbing my head for invisible apples on my desk, they weren’t the best I had heard all year.

A Star Is Born, is track nine, and had that gritty/harmonic juxtaposition that has a flowing head nod feel to it. Sampled from the Mother Freedom Band’s Touch Me, it was a perfect flow for Hov to rap over.

D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) was a tight beat, albeit heavily sampled from the song In the Space by Janko Nilovic and Dave Sucky. I guess I liked it not because of the creativity of the beat, but rather the excellent song sample choice.

Swizz Beatz produced the seventh track, On To The Next One, which apparently sampled D.A.N.C.E. by Justice, but I don’t know from where exactly. It reminded me of the beat from A Milli by Lil Wayne, with the same thing droning in the background, and the beat dropping out save for the drums for certain parts.

My two favorite beats go to Timbaland though. First, the eighth track, Off That, which gives me that futuristic urban feel; with Venus Vs. Mars being that downlow jungle beat that gets the ladies in the mood.

Rhymes 6.5/10

Jay Z isn’t exactly the most socially conscious rapper out there (unless it has to do with him directly), But I do appreciate the message and direction of the album. He does just like President Obama did, and clarified the bullshit for everyone before saying thank you and moving on. Lets Discuss.

What We Talkin’ About was a great way to kick the album off, calling out Jay-Z’s defectors and competitors. He even takes time out to make a shout out to the President (the first time of many on the album) and the White House. Here’s a clip of the lyrics:

Blueprint 3
And now that that’s that Lets talk about the future
We have just seen the dream as predicted by Martin Luther
Now you could choose ta Sit in front of your computa
Posin’ with guns Shootin YouTube up
Or you could come with me to the White House get your suit up

Off That was another favorite of mine, for its rant about what Jay-Z used to be into, but now what he’s off. Drake sings the hook, with a song about calling out haters and their old ways. Here’s the hook:

Drizzy Drake:
Whatever you about to discover We off that
You about to tell her you love it, we off that
Always want to fight in the club and we off that
But you can’t bring the future back
Ya’ll steady chasing the fame, we off that
Oversize clothes and the chains, we off that
Niggas still makin’ it rain and we off that
But you can’t bring the future back

Tell them hatas get off me
Cris we off that
Timbs we off that
Rims we off that

Jay-Z:
Yeah we off that
Is you still on that
And we still making money
cuz we still on that

Featurettes 8/10

I give the album this score because of the level of album sales the people featured on it will bring, in addition to their relative badassness.

Rihanna was an obvious choice for this album, with Jay-Z playing the big brother role for quite some time now. She sings the hook to Run This Town; quite well I might add.

Alicia Keys sings the hook (and I assume played the piano ) on Empire State of Mind. I’ve always been a fan of her work, and being a resident New Yorker, it was only right to have her jump on a track with Hov.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Drake on the roster for this album, for his hook on Off That. Drake is one of the most hyped guys in the business right now, so I tip my hat to him gaining a pass to record on this album, albeit only the hook.

Kanye West actually cracked me up on the first verse of Hate. A song which he also produced, his verse was cocky to the level we have known and learned to love.

Also making me laugh was Pharrell in his Neptunes produced song, So Ambitious. He sings the hook with Z, amid another playful circus sounding beat.” I’m so ambitious…I might hit two sisters”. Classic.

In Conclusion

I would have loved to see a collaboration between fellow Bedford-Stuyvesant MC Mos Def, but maybe that’s just me (or theres some beef there that I don’t know about). But overall, this was another great album by Jay-Z, even if I don’t think it would be the best album to walk away from the game with.

I think this is the intro album to another chapter in the Hov universe, with several oppoutunities to make more albums during the current presidency. What would be really crazy though, is if Beyonce and President Obama jumped on a track with Jay-Z… C’mon, you know that shit would be insane.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak