Hip hop/pop hybrid Nicki Minaj’s much awaited sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, may have many moments of musical glory, but the songs in between are likely to leave you feeling like you’ve just glimpsed into Judy Garland’s mind after a handful of Seconal. Minaj’s prestige and elevation to fame after the ascendancy of the first Pink Friday may have gone to her head just a bit. Otherwise, I doubt the majority of Roman Reloaded would be characterized by shrieks and unintelligible yelling. But then, I suppose only Roman can be blamed for that.

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With “Roman Holiday,” an opener that will make you feel like you’re in a demented version of the Audrey Hepburn movie of the same name, Minaj reprises her role as Roman’s mother, Martha Zolanski, urging, “Take your medication Roman, take a short vacation Roman. You’ll be okay.” The most horrifying clincher is when Minaj digresses into a sinister version of “Come All Ye Faithful.” Then there is, hands down, the worst track on the album, “Come On A Cone,” in which Minaj tells us all about a “dick in your face.”

Nicki Minaj, you know, levitating at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

Thankfully, the third song, “I Am Your Leader” featuring Cam’ron and Rick Ross, begins to steer the album in a more bearable direction. It may actually be Cam’ron’s best musical effort since “Hey Ma.” As Minaj chants, “I am your leader,” you quickly start to believe it’s true. She then forces you to realize, “I’m a brand bitch, I’m a brand.” At least she owns up to that fact. “Beez in the Trap” featuring 2 Chainz follows, faintly smacking of Fergie as Minaj raps, “Bitches say shit and they ain’t say nothin,” which sounds an awful lot like, “Fergalicious definition: make them boys go loco.”

“HOV Lane” opens with a futuristic beat and segues into one of Minaj as Roman’s more harder-edged raps as she asserts, “I’m in my own lane, you ain’t in my categor. You like a RAV-4, I’m like the Inventador” (yes, that’s a car name she made up). The other noticeable track with “hit appeal” is the title track featuring Lil’ Wayne, “Roman Reloaded.” With an aggravated backbeat and an addictive chorus (“Bang, my shit bang, it bang bang”), this is the most ear-catching song next to “Stupid Hoe.” Minaj even references her controversial Grammy performance, questioning,  ”Is it me or did I put these rap bitches on the map again?/You mad ’cause I’m at the Grammys with the Vatican.”

Nicki Minaj's most memorable collaboration on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is with Lil' Wayne.

Another remarkable collaboration comes in the form of “Champion” featuring Nas, Drake (no stranger to the Minaj fold), and Young Jeezy. The emphasis of the track is contingent upon the contention: “Came back to Queens to head up a new state.” As someone who proudly recognizes where she is from (Jamaica! Queens, that is), Minaj also comprehends her responsibility to make it a better place now that she has the means and resources to do so (“This is for the hood, this is for the kids”). Chris Brown makes a cameo on the subsequent upbeat anthem, “Right By My Side.” Ironically, Minaj delivers her most Rihanna-like tone as she sings, “I’m pourin’ my heart out.”

Rick Ross is just one of numerous guest vocalists on Roman Reloaded.

“Sex in the Lounge” featuring (yet again) Lil’ Wayne and Bobby V. is perhaps an homage to Minaj’s occasional boyfriend/promotional guru, Safaree “SB” Samuels, considering her observation,  ”He addicted to hustle, I’m addicted to fame.” The Billboard chart-topping song, “Starships,” in which Minaj will vocally resemble Katy Perry as much as she ever will, is another album highlight, if not slightly on the superficial side. “Pound the Alarm,” one of the rare instances where Minaj sings unaccompanied, is another feel-good track in the vein of “Starships.” Once again, Minaj affirms her superiority over other females in her genre: “What I gotta do to show these girls that I own them?/Some call me Nicki, some call me Roman.”

She won't stand for your bull shit.

In a nod to Devo, “Whip It” bolsters the dance rhythm of  Roman Reloaded, evocative of a party that might take place in Ibiza or India as Minaj shouts, “Hey stranger over there, I really like the way you whip it” (insert whip-cracking sound effect here). “Automatic” mimics the inflection of Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” continuing to propel the more buoyant side of Roman. “Beautiful Sinner” (coincidentally a similar title to Madonna’s “Beautiful Killer” from the recently released MDNA, on which Minaj collaborates with M.I.A. for “Give Me All Your Luvin’”) is Minaj’s love letter to Trinidad, allowing her to tout, “South Africa is where I am from/Get me my banjo, get me my drum” and “Trinidad, Trinidad/My island.”

Relishing her moment in the spotlight.

Yet another connection to her fraternization with Madonna as a dancing Marilyn Monroe in the video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’” is the track named for said blonde bombshell. In it, Minaj laments, “Sometimes I feel like Marilyn Monroe: I’m insecure, I make mistakes.” As the pace of the album continues to slow down, “Young Forever” (in keeping with the Marilyn Monroe theme) signals the third act, so to speak, of Roman Reloaded. Singing some of her more maudlin lyrics, Minaj croons, “Frozen in time, always be mine/Baby boy, you’ll be young forever.”

Performing "Give Me All Your Luvin'" at the Super Bowl with Madonna.

The somewhat obviously titled “Fire Burns” bolsters the vulnerable side of Minaj, allowing her to vent about love lost as she bemoans, “This is a sickening joke that you play with my emotions.” “Gun Shot” featuring Beenie Man is the perfect transition from “Fire Burns,” with its moderate rhythm and the smooth vocals of Beenie Man to complement Minaj’s narrative. “Stupid Hoe” changes up the stride of the slow jam trilogy with the infectious accusation, “You a stupid hoe.”

Owning her Barbie look.

Those with the bonus track edition of Roman Reloaded are also subject to the David Guetta/Nicki Minaj dance-suffused partnership, “Turn Me On,” the ultra-80s sounding “Va Va Voom,” the equal part rap, equal part pop “Masquerade,” and a twenty-one minute interview entitled “Press Conference” with Minaj’s main squeezes Charlemagne and Safaree “SB” Samuels. When asked about if she feels she gets enough love from New York, she vehemently denies being appreciated in spite of how hard she worked to rise to her current stature. She even recalls, “I was sellin’ my fuckin’ mix tape outta my muthafuckin’ BMW on Jamaica fuckin’ Avenue.” Enough said.

It’s been almost exactly four years since Madonna came out with her last album, Hard Candy (released in April of 2008). In that time, she has opened a chain of gyms of the same name, created a clothing line with her daughter, Lourdes Leon, written and directed a film, and negotiated a new recording contract with Interscope Records (incidentally, the same label Lady Gaga is on). Not to mention continue to piss people off over her mere existence. But, if you haven’t guessed by now, Madonna really doesn’t give a fuck. There’s even a song on MDNA called “I Don’t Give A.” So what can you expect from the indestructible tour de force’s twelfth studio album?: Dance music at its purest and finest. Hence the title, MDNA.

Left: Deluxe edition album cover, right: Standard edition album cover

The second single from the album, entitled “Girl Gone Wild,” is also the song that kicks off the record. The track opens with a confessional apology extracted from the Catholic prayer, “Act of Contrition” (the title of a song that also appeared as the closer to Madonna’s seminal 1989 album, Like A Prayer): “Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pain of hell. But most of all because I love thee and I want so badly to be good.” It is, in essence, a sentiment that sums up all of Madonna’s actions throughout her career. But you can’t keep a bad girl down as the Queen of Pop dives into an electronically suffused beat that champions the cause of every “good girl gone wild.”

Always playing the fallen angel.

In an ideal world, “Gang Bang” will reverberate throughout every gay club in New York City. Or perhaps someday be featured as a lip synch for your life song on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Madonna oozes vengeance as she sings, “Bang bang, shot you dead/Bitch out of water, bat out of hell/Fish out of water, I’m scared, can’t you tell?” It makes so much sense that Mika is a producer on the song. Continuing with the MDMA motif, the next track is called “I’m Addicted.” Barring the similarity in lyrical rhymes to “Like A Prayer,” this is another standout song on the album in which Madonna reveals, “Something happens to me when I hear your voice/Something happens to me and I have no choice/I need to hear your name/Everything feels so strange/I’m ready to take this chance.” The beat then segues into something that only Benny Benassi could create as Madonna laments, “Fame’s like a drug and I can’t get enough.”

Martin Solveig, who also produced the first single from MDNA, “Give Me All Your Luvin’”, infects “Turn Up The Radio” with his usual brand of European house sensibilities. It is by far one of the most simplistic songs on the album, designed as more of a summer anthem as Madonna chants, “Turn up the radio” repeatedly, the only divergent lyrics being, “Don’t ask me where I wanna go/We gotta turn up the radio.”

“Give Me All Your Luvin’” succeeds “Turn Up The Radio” in a seamless transition of Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. chanting, “L.U.V., Madonna!/Y.O.U., you wanna!?” The video for the song, directed by MegaForce, coincided with Madonna’s performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, thus the football player/cheerleader motif throughout (with a Marilyn Monroe homage thrown in for good measure). The beat and rhythm of the following song, “Some Girls,” sets a new tone for the second half of the album, exuding a very reminiscent vibe to Goldfrapp’s 2003 hit, “Strict Machine.” It is also one of the triumphant auditory reunions between Madonna and Ray of Light collaborator, William Orbit.

In the studio with M.I.A.

And, speaking of collaborations, Madonna also enlists the backing vocals of her daughter on “Superstar.” Evocative of “Superpop,” a bonus track from 2005′s Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madonna uses famous names from history to create analogies on “Superstar”: “You’re like Caesar stepping onto the throne/You’re Abe Lincoln, ’cause you fight for what’s right.” Not one to pass up another opportunity to work with Minaj, Madonna appropriately features the Trinidadian goddess on “I Don’t Give A.” Although it is perhaps the most awkward song in terms of what fits in with Madonna’s musical style, it is definitely noteworthy for how personal the lyrics– undeniably directed at Guy Ritchie–are:

“I tried to be a good girl, I tried to be your wife/Diminish myself and I swallowed my light/I tried to become all that you expect of me/And if it was a failure, I don’t give a…”

Single cover for "Girl Gone Wild"

“I’m A Sinner,” yet another one of Madonna’s theme songs in terms of telling her detractors to fuck off, is the most overt sounding Orbit track on MDNA. Moreover, what would a Madonna song about sinning be without name dropping a few of her favorite religious figures, including Jesus and the Virgin Mary? “Love Spent,” the third of four tracks with Orbit’s signature on it, once again mirrors an unofficially released Madonna song: “Liquid Love” from, you guessed it, the Ray of Light era.

Performing with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj at the 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

As the album draws to a close, Madonna chooses to slow down the tempo with her Golden Globe-winning song, “Masterpiece,” featured on the soundtrack for W.E. “Falling Free” consummates the standard edition of MDNA. The influence of Joe Henry, country guru and Madonna’s brother-in-law, is evident on the laidback, twangy vocals.

Performing "Like A Prayer" with Cee-Lo at the 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

For those with the sense to buy the deluxe edition, your ears will also be bestowed with “Beautiful Killer” (a song about French movie star Alain Delon), “I Fucked Up” (a relaxed mea culpa with a message that is the antithesis of “I Don’t Give A”), “B-Day Song” (another fast-paced collaboration with M.I.A.–because this was before M was upset with her over the middle finger debacle), “Best Friend” (in which M probes the demise of a relationship that reiteratively seems to be about Guy Ritchie: “You said you wanted more than just a pretty girl/Maybe I challenge you a little bit too much”), and, finally, the LMFAO “Party Rock” remix of “Give Me All Your Luvin’”. So, if you aren’t inclined toward dancing, having a good time, or escaping into the aural assuagement that only Madonna can provide, then MDNA may not be for you. And MDMA probably isn’t either.

M.I.A., Britain’s finest honorary citizen, has re-emerged with a single called “Bad Girls” (you thought it was going to spelled with a “z” didn’t you?). With a bhangra-esque beat that M.I.A. is no stranger to wielding, the track is part of M.I.A.’s months early promotion of her fourth studio album (the title of which has yet to be revealed). The sound of the track mirrors what we heard on Kala, the album that launched M.I.A. into the forefront of mass public consciousness.

M.I.A. channels an Indian princess on the sound of her latest single.

Chanting what is perhaps M.I.A.’s own personal mantra, “Live fast, die young/Bad girls do it well,” this is a song with a chorus ideal for dance floors and the interiors of cars across America. M.I.A. is also teaming up with Romain Gavras (who directed the video for “Born Free”) again for the “Bad Girls” video, set to debut on February 3rd, the same day, incidentally, that “Gimme All Your Luvin’”, the song she collaborated on with Madonna and Nicki Minaj, is to be released. So look out 2012, M.I.A. is back with a vengeance.

Just a few weeks after “Give Me All Your Love” was leaked, another Madonna single, “Masterpiece,” has surfaced. At the New York premiere of W.E., which took place at the Museum of Modern Art, the pop star-cum-director confirmed that the William Orbit-produced track will appear on the soundtrack for the film, as well as the artist’s next studio album. Madonna’s reaction to the leak of “Give Me All Your Love” was much more mournful than the unintended release of “Masterpiece” as the former song is still in its demo incarnation/missing vocal contributions from confirmed collaborators M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj.

That's right bitches, I'm back.

“Masterpiece,” however, is a lyrical and musical return to the style of Madonna’s more revered ballads, such as “Live to Tell” and “This Used to be My Playground.” Incidentally, both of the aforementioned tracks also appeared on soundtracks (At Close Range and A League of Their Own, respectively). The words to the song are an undeniable mirror of the love story between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, the primary subject of W.E. With echoes of Madonna’s vocal tone during the Evita era, “Masterpiece” paints a picture (pun intended) of someone unattainable–but not someone who isn’t worth fighting for:

“If you were the Mona Lisa/You’d be hanging in the Louvre/Everyone would come to see you/You’d be impossible to move/It seems to me, that’s what you are/A rare and priceless work of art/You stay behind your velvet rope/But I will not renounce all hope.”

Madonna: Her own work of art.

With so much hinging on the success of this film, it is wise of Madonna to hedge her bet with a song like this to bolster the allure of W.E. Although, considering that she was willing to showcase it to the likes of Parker Posey, Julian Schnabel, and Patti Smith at the MoMa premiere, it seems Madonna is fairly self-assured about the merit of her directorial skills. And not without reason–according to style.com, “Patti Smith got up and gave her a standing ovation.” That’s a pretty big vote of confidence.

There is not a large majority that will give Ke$ha very much credit in the “artistic integrity” category. I used to be one of those detractors. There was even a time when I refused to spell her name with a dollar sign. But now, I’ve seen the light (or maybe the songs have been drilled into my head enough times à la Josie and the Pussycats–and if you don’t understand that reference, well, watch the movie. It’s necessary). Regardless of M.I.A. accusing her of ripping off her style and sound from Uffie, this bitch knows how to appeal to an audience. Because, after all, what does every girl–in spite of her age–secretly want to do: Fuck shit up, get drunk, and have meaningless sex. Who says that guys should have the monopoly on such fun?

Ke$ha: Always looking a bit like someone just fucked her up the ass.

Signed to Kemosabe Entertainment at the (these days) jaded age of eighteen, Ke$ha wasted no time in distinguishing herself from other artists on Dr. Luke’s label, the prodigious and renowned producer of Top 40 artists like Katy Perry, Ciara, Britney Spears, Pink, and B.o.B. With the runaway success of her debut album, Animal, Ke$ha echoed the career move of Lady Gaga by composing several supplemental tracks to be re-released with the album, giving it the doppelganger name of Cannibal. And honestly, who else could get away with the lyric (on the track “Cannibal”), “Yup, I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer” unless it was sung sweetly–yet irreverently–by a pop tart siren?

Single cover for "Tik Tok," the song that launched Ke$ha into infamy.

Even though Ke$ha was born in Los Angeles, a town which now serves as one of her primary playgrounds, her family moved to a suburb of Nashville when she was five years old. It was perhaps having conventionality to rebel against that ultimately transformed Ke$ha into the thrill-seeking, party-loving person she is today. With the help of her mother, Pebe (a songwriter in her own right), Ke$ha penned the lyrics and music to her first song, “Stephen” (which would become one of the weaker tracks on Animal).

Happy go lucky.

And this is the part in her biography where I’m inclined to believe she is a genius. After gaining the notice of Dr. Luke with “Stephen,” Ke$ha opted to drop out of school at seventeen and head back to L.A. to take claim of her role as pop star. Everything about this move fits in with Ke$ha’s image as a badass bitch who does not give one fuck about anything except having a good time. Granted, she would later complete her GED, I’m pretty sure she must have been on some type of substance for most of her study sessions. Moreover, Ke$ha did not make the mistake of trying to start out with a wholesome image, as some of her fallen contemporaries did (e.g. Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, et. al.).

Ke$ha landed a Billboard cover with the headline "The Making of a 21st Century Pop Star"

Right from the outset, Ke$ha established herself as the imperfect sinner and a proponent of expressing carnal desires. But before any of this could be achieved, Ke$ha still had several dues to pay: She had to work as a waitress, appear in Katy Perry’s video for “I Kissed A Girl,” and sing backing vocals on a Paris Hilton track. If that isn’t prostrating yourself, I don’t know what is. But through it all, Ke$ha probably knew what she was destined to become: The poster child for partying, the goddess of filling the dance floor, the muse for remixes galore. So, whether she is aware of it or not, Ke$ha is imbued with the gift for positioning herself as the spokesperson of a lifestyle that we all wish we could have. Therein lies her musical/marketing genius.

Discoveries in music are rarely made outside of YouTube or MySpace anymore. Usually, the music robots in the A&R departments that still exist decide what the public needs and manufactures it for them. But with Brooklyn noise pop duo Sleigh Bells, it was as though, for a split second in time, the fates saw fit to separate them from the other hipster scum pervading every inch of Williamsburg.

Got my A machines on the table, got my B machines in the drawer.

Even though Sleigh Bells somehow seems to have been around for a long period of time, the band was spawned from the frenetic mind of Derek E. Miller just three years ago. With one album under their belt (Treats, a must have for anyone who isn’t hearing impaired), the seamless collaboration between the musical and vocal stylings of Miller and Alexis Krauss make for one of the finest examples of the gritty paired with the sweet producing an ideal aural result.

Posing at American Playground in Greenpoint.

In 2008, Derek E. Miller spotted little ol’ Alexis Krauss at a Brazilian restaurant called Miss Favela on South 5th and Wythe (the restaurant, surprisingly, still exists). As Miller waited on her table, the two struck up a conversation and Miller mentioned he was looking for a female vocalist for his latest project. Krauss’ background was strictly pop (she was a member of a girl group called Rubyblue), while Miller was an adherent of experimental rock via his band Poison the Well.

So happy together.

With such diverse inclinations in sonic approach, one would think that a collaboration between the two would prove fatal and uneventful, but the resulting EP that Sleigh Bells came out with in December of 2009 negated such a theory. Featuring several tracks that would appear on Treats (“Ring Ring”–later to be called “Rill Rill”–”Crown on the Ground,” “Infinity Guitars,” “Beach Girls”–renamed “Kids” on the full-length album–and “A/B Machines”), the self-titled EP was propelled by their recent performances at the CMJ Music Festival, and garnered the attention of M.I.A.’s label N.E.E.T. Recordings.

Sleigh Bells got the notice of one, M.I.A.

After a solid year of touring in promotion of Treats (released on May 11, 2010), Sleigh Bells has taken a brief hiatus to record their sophomore album, slated to be released in early 2012 (you know, pending the whole universe not blowing up thing). Behind the Hype awaits with bated breath for the next slew of loud guitar riffs and dulcet refrains from the most loveable musical duo since, hmm, Hall & Oates maybe. That’s a big maybe though.

Welcome back to the end of 2010. I’m your host, Dagan, and… okay yeah, that was lame.  Anyway, yes! On to part two of my top 100 countdown of the best albums of the year. Excited? I don’t blame you, neither am I. Well, that’s enough aimless rambling for now, let’s just go ahead and get down to business. “Finally,” says the reader…

80. Robyn – Body Talk

What with all the clamor about Robyn being the next big pop star and all that, it was quite easy to be skeptical… and after giving Body Talk a few dozen listens, I can honestly say that yeah, she just might. She harnesses that oh-so-important skill of singing about the most asinine things possible, but actually getting you into it. How many female singers go on about boy troubles, to which all you can think in response is “I don’t really give a rat’s ass what’s going on with you, lady”? When Robyn worries that her fuck-buddy might be getting too close, or that whoever she’s dating on the sly won’t dump his current girlfriend, you can’t help but dance and think, “aw, well I hope she gets all that sorted out.”

Recommended track: Love Kills

79. Fear Factory – Mechanize

I really didn’t think they had it in them. After two missteps, and then the (second) split, and Arkaea being as… well, as terrible as they were… hearing this album kick as much ass as it does was one of the year’s many pleasant surprises. Burton C. Bell sounds as vital as he ever has, and the legendary Gene Hoglan hasn’t made Raymond Hererra’s presence feel missed at all. Not to mention that Dino’s riffs, the very heart of the band, are finally back! Forgive my fanboy-isms, but it feels like they picked up right where they left off with Digimortal, and it’s all quite exciting for me.

Recommended track: Christploitation

78. Eels – Tomorrow Morning

One of the last musicians I ever expected to put out something this cheerful, E has decided that maybe life isn’t so bad after all, and made a smug-free tribute to it on record. And what’s more is that it’s actually really good! He’s still got his quirky sense of humor, but not the miserable loner armed with a wisecrack anymore, so much as the witty guy who’s too quiet to tell his jokes to more than one person at a time. It really is a bit startling to hear something so genuinely self-affirming as What I Have to Offer coming from him, but it works very well, simply because he actually seems to mean it.

Recommended track: This Is Where It Gets Good

77.  Simian Mobile Disco – Delicacies

After the near-disastrous pop flirtation that was last year’s Temporary Pleasure, the electro duo decided to take a step in the opposite direction, and go a bit more subtle. …make that a LOT more subtle. Delicacies is a bass-heavy, rhythm dominated album with its tracks taking their time to build up and reveal more of themselves. It’s still a dance record, for all intents and purposes, but it’s a challenging one that requires an attentive ear for all the details – and this album is rich with them.

Recommended track: Casu Marzu

76. The Flashbulb – Arboreal

Pretty, ambient music is all well and good, but why not try and mix it up a bit? That seems to be the proposal behind Benn Jordan’s most recent outing, and the results are largely astounding. As with his last album, 2008′s Soundtrack to a Vacant Life, his compositions are unfailingly beautiful, but this time around he’s tried throwing in shuffling, glitchy beats, mildly abrasive synths, hip-hop beats, treated guitars, and… well you get the idea. What’s also impressive is that with all the different elements he’s applying with different tracks, there’s still a remarkable flow to the album. Both sprawling and emotive, Arboreal is not something you want to miss.

Recommended track: A Raw Understanding

75. M.I.A. – MAYA

Maya is incredibly abrasive and confrontational, which is a huge part of why I like it as much as I do. All the talk of conspiracy theories, global inequalities, and other unpleasantries go along with the power drills, chopped up samples, and smarmy wordplay (tell me you can’t see her smirking during the chorus of Lovealot), all to force an opinion out of you. It’s little wonder (you little wonder, little wonder, you) how it’s come to be one of the most (if not THE most) polarizing albums of the year; I can’t help but imagine that she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Recommended track: It Takes a Muscle

74. Mount Kimbie – Crooks & Lovers

So, have you noticed how popular dubstep has gotten? ….no, that pick-up line doesn’t work, but I’m still trying. In any case, what with this genre’s different ends (particularly the bone-rattling bass obsessed end and the haunting atmosphere obsessed end), it’s quite refreshing to see somebody trying something different. Dominic Maker and Kai Campos make wonderful use of chopped up samples in particular, making songs that threaten to drown in their own ambiance come alive with a makeshift hook, probably displayed best on the outstanding Mayor. Mount Kimbie are able to come across as fun as well as ethereal, which could well be one of the best combinations to achieve in this style of music.

Recommended track: Ruby

73. Be My Enemy – This Is the New Wave

There’s something about good old fashioned crushing music tailor-made for industrial dancefloors that makes me want to neglect proper comma use. I’m not sure what’s better about this album, the fact that half of the much celebrated Cubanate put this together, or that it makes waiting for the promised new Cubanate material so much more tolerable. Phil Barry hasn’t lost a beat – pounding beats, brutal guitars, and an unwavering danceability to even the most aggressive moments.

Recommended track: Helter Skelter

72. Actress – Splazsh

Splazsh plays like a trip through different types of electronic dance music, from complex techno to electro bangers, but all with Actress’ individual stamp. What keeps it all from unraveling is his ability to weave together elements that shouldn’t really go together; Bubble Butts and Equations, for example, sees an almost IDM (God I hate that term) sounding jumble of melodies meander on until they hit a solid four to the floor beat, and suddenly it sounds like a subdued electro house number. As the album progresses, these pairings pop up more and more, each one more clever than the last, and it keeps things more than just a little interesting, wondering where he’ll go next. A huge grower.

Recommended track: Maze

71. Godzilla Black – Godzilla Black

“I’m the kind of girl that makes you want to get a sex change.” So begins Godzilla Black’s gleefully bizarre self-titled debut, which is stylistically all over the place, but somehow unified in the sheer oddity of it all. The group’s chaotic brand of indie rock visits surf rock (From Here to Clare), psychedelia (imaresident), experimental noise (The Drought), and so on, leaving an utter mess behind them each time. This flew under the radar a bit, but really needs to be heard, even if only for people to scratch their heads over.

Recommended track: The Bad Place

70. Ceephax Acid Crew – United Acid Emirates

Bleep bloop bleep. Acid and 8 bit, together at least! And they make for quite the cheerful little dance party, let me tell you – the melodies are so bright and bubbly that it’s nearly impossible to listen to this without cracking a smile at some point; hell, just give Sydney’s Sizzler an ear and try not to get sucked in by that infectious giddiness. There are also several other more low-key moments on United Acid Emirates that are excellent in their own right, such as the tranquil pair of Trabzonspor and Denizlispor. Bloop.

Recommended track: Castilian

69. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh

What with the intense political overtones found in New Amerykah Part One, it’s so nice to hear Erykah Badu sounding so playful on her latest. Just around every corner, some facet of love is embraced, and what’s better is that it’s rooted more in simple moments and fleeting feelings than anything direct, like how she details the elation that comes with a new love in the infinitely charming Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long. Return of the Ankh is a very warm, pleasant record, and whether you’re feeling any of the things she’s singing about or not, it’s a lovely listen all the same.

Recommended track: Fall in Love (Your Funeral)

68. Prometheus Burning – Displacement Disorder

Some seriously savage industrial (or rhythmic noise, if you prefer) that’s got groove and rage to spare. It’s an interesting thing when an album can utterly kick your ass, but at the same time make you feel like dancing – well, maybe just mimic that zombie looking kid from the Peanuts with the outstretched arms, but dancing all the same. The production is absolutely fierce, with abrasive yet head-bobbing, addictive beats, and it sounds more crushing and dense than most guitar-based heavy music.

Recommended track: Anonymous Death Threats

67. Year of No Light – Ausserwelt

Ausserwelt’s cover image is about as accurate a visual you’re going to get for Year of No Light’s latest: dark, bleak, brooding, and heavy. Opting to go instrumental this time around, the band embraces elements of drone, doom, and a hell of a lot of sludge to make an album that manages to pull off the ugly/beautiful dichotomy with striking ease. Even considering that it’s three guitarists and two drummers (!) playing on the record, it’s still a wonder how they got it to be so damn loud. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Recommended track: Hiérophante

66. MGMT – Congratulations

As I noted in my review of this album from earlier this year, it’s difficult to sympathize with people who found MGMT’s second album a bit jarring, as they obviously weren’t really listening to the bulk of Oracular Spectacular. The duo set out to make their own brand of 60s psychedelic rock, and they did a damned good job of it. Congratulations is the best kind of retro; making no qualms about its influences, yet updating it for the current era while adding their own panache. This is a seriously fun record, and I can’t help but feel bad for those who simply write it off.

Recommended track: Song for Dan Treacy

65. StrangeZero – Newborn Butterflies

Not to suggest that there was a STAGGERING race for the title of ‘Best Dark Ambient Album of the Year’ or anything, but this would clinch it in spades. It’s always remarkable to hear something so deceptively simple reveal its intricacies to you over the course of a few listens, and this is a quality that StrangeZero could write a fucking book on – the samples, the synths, the glitches, there is so much going on and so much to discover. Of course, this wouldn’t be of much use without the tremendous atmosphere that Newborn Butterflies uses to suck you in; it’s somehow both soothing and haunting, and able to evoke much more thought and feeling than you might expect.

Recommended track: Mirteaux

64. Mono/Poly – Paramatma

I’m still not sure whether or not it was a good idea for Charles Dickerson to capture the sensation of being in the midst of an intense, paranoid trip. Not because he failed to do this, mind you, in fact it’s because he was a little too successful! The first half of Paramatma plays out exactly like this, with insulated samples of religious and political rhetoric weaving in and out of hazy, psychedelic, half-wonky and half-subdued beats, peaking with the massive, nine minute opus Waters of Duality when the paranoia finally begins to fade away and the album takes on a progressively peaceful and laid back feel. A trip and a half.

Recommended track: Analysis (DNA)/Fire Passion

63. Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here

Seven years is a long time to wait for anything, and when it comes to new albums it’s a bit of a gamble; the longer the wait, the higher the expectations, and more often than not once enough time has passed it becomes a practice in setting yourself up for disappointment. Unless you’re waiting for the new Anathema record, it seems. We’re Here Because We’re Here sees the band dropping most of the metal from their musical approach in favor of atmospheric, progressive rock that is flooring in just how gorgeous it is. One of the most ridiculously sweeping and uplifting albums I’ve heard all year.

Recommended track: Dreaming Light

62. Rosetta – A Determinism of Morality

As much as the band may detest the post-metal tag, this album could well be its very embodiment. Opener Ayil is everything a great metal track should be – crushing guitars, clever breakdowns, roared vocals, and spectacular drumming, then it eases into more gentle, calculated sonic ventures only to explode again into furious bursts of emotion. And yes, it is startlingly emotional – not in the traditional ‘emo’ sense of course, but Michael Armine’s vocals just have such a fire behind them that they can’t help goading on the already extremely passionate music. Everything is meticulously set up, perhaps best illustrated by how the longing instrumental Blue Day for Croatoa fades into the raging (and appropriately titled) Release. It’s hard to imagine Rosetta sounding more fully realized than this.

Recommended track: Revolve

61. Deadmau5 – 4×4=16

Here’s another album (or collection of singles, I guess I should say) that’s getting way more hate than I can wrap my head around. After rising to prominence with his last two full-length releases, expectations were understandably high for his third. However, critics have seemed a bit too eager to sharpshoot the guy over this – Sofi Needs a Ladder is bad because of Sofi’s grating vocals. Animal Rights is bad because the hook is too blatant. Raise Your Weapon is bad because it has a dubstep drop. And so on, and so forth. While I’ll agree that One Trick Pony comes off a bit awkward, 4×4=16 is a solid exercise in progressive house, and a natural extension of the branching out that Joel Zimmerman started to toy with on For Lack of a Better Name. The high octane first half settles quite nicely into the more creeping nature of mid-point tracks I Said (Michael Woods Remix) and Cthulhu Sleeps, which in turn do a great job of leading up to his foray into dubstep. Not his best, but an excellent dance record nonetheless.

Recommended track: Some Chords

Intermittent tinges of ganja waft through the vast expanse of Brooklyn Bowl’s high ceilings as those who were disobedient enough to wait in line before the specified time of seven o’ clock on October 6th wait for M.I.A.’s free show to start. Why the free show was necessary is a result of a vaguely ruined performance as a result of the type of rain that comes equipped with thunder and lightning at HARD Fest back in July on the beauteous Governor’s Island. M.I.A., not one to be utterly compliant, was inclined to take a leisurely amount of time before appearing onstage after her recent musical obsession, Rye Rye, performed a brief set.

Baltimorean Rye Rye was a shrewd way to elevate the audience at Brooklyn Bowl before M.I.A. took the stage.

The frenetic and sassy duo recently released a single together called “Bang” and, even more recently, “Sunshine.” Some might find easy comparisons to draw between the musical stylings of both, though I think Rye Rye sort of sounds like Left Eye from TLC, whereas M.I.A. doesn’t really sound like anyone else. So yeah, after Rye Rye danced around in this awesome blonde wig, sequined black sweatshirt, and like gold lamé pants with her extremely hireable backup dancers, about an hour and a half passed in what can best be likened to either waiting for the subway in the middle of July or standing in the Sahara dance tent at Coachella–fucking hotter than a latke fresh of the skillet.

I totally stole this picture from someone else's blog because, until someone pays me to go to shows, I will never be able to afford a digital camera. But yeah, this is M.I.A. at Brooklyn Bowl. She didn't take off her sunglasses until later in the set.

Once the heat from the packed bodies had created a new layer on my skin, M.I.A.’s dancers emerged to the backing vocals from /\/\/\Y/\’s first track, “The Message,” an ominous musical concoction that insists, “Connected to the internet, connected to the government.” Once “The Message” was received, M.I.A. began singing “Illygirl,” a song you would only recognize if you had purchased the deluxe version of /\/\/\Y/\. But it was actually a good choice to open with this song, being that it sticks to the typical “fuck you, I don’t care what songs you like of mine” fashion that M.I.A. has cultivated. In keeping with this theme, M.I.A. followed up with one of the less popular songs off Kala, “World Town.” Then, as if systematically paying homage to her early musical days, she delved into “Galang,” the song that literally launched her into commerciality when it was played in the background of an iTunes commercial.

At another performance wearing more memorable sunglasses

Continuing her unexpected jaunt into the Arular album, M.I.A. performed the always crowd-pleasing “Sunshowers,” with a little help from Rye Rye. Afterward, around the time she started singing “Boyz,” followed by “Bamboo Banga,” M.I.A. casually let herself fall into the crowd and was led to the top of a door frame of the side exit by the stage. She opted to stay there for awhile (it’s a really big door frame, almost the size of a miniature stage), which seemed like an impromptu decision, but one never knows what is planned and what is not when it comes to live performances. The crowd’s energy only amplified when she returned to the main stage to sing some further unexpected selections that included “XR2,” “Lovalot,” “Story To Be Told,” “Born Free,” “Teqkilla,” and, her crowning jewel, “Paper Planes”–which I have to stay I still don’t hate in spite of how much it was overplayed in the wake of the Pineapple Express trailer.

Brooklyn Bowl's lovely interior

Although there was an abnormal interlude between the “last song” (“Born Free”) and the encores, “Teqkilla” and “Paper Planes,” I was still able to see M.I.A. belt that shit out after a brief nap on one of Brooklyn Bowl’s almost cruelly comfortable couches. I say cruel because I feel like it’s just setting a girl up to be taken advantage of in her vulnerable, drunken state of semi-consciousness and, therefore, willingness to talk to anyone. And no, this is not what happened to me. In any case, M.I.A. definitely delivered on her promise to make it up to her fans who had to suffer through the allegedly atrocious July 24th performance at Governor’s Island. Not that I was one of them. Just a reaper of the benefits.

Well, July has come to an end, and it shouldn’t come as a shock that yet again, a shitload of fantastic music came out. In any case, there’s not a whole lot more I can say about July being over, so without further ado let’s get on with yet another rant about ten different artists… as usual, whatever you think I’ve missed, please feel free to comment below.

M.I.A. – Meds and Feds

AROUSING.

As we all know, M.I.A. is one ballsy broad – calling out less-than-talented songstresses, feuds with reporters, performing shows when she knew full well she was about to pop, controversial music videos, and now releasing what will likely be the most polarizing album of the year. The tastes of dubstep and industrial all throughout the album are great in how cold, robotic, and ultimately challenging they are, but what makes this Sleigh Bells sampling track stand out for me is that it really underlines what this album is about with M.I.A.’s glitched-out “I just give a damn.” The loud and confrontational Maya isn’t out to make people love or hate it so much as to get in the listener’s face and force an opinion out of them, and on those grounds this album has been spectacularly successful.

Brandon Boyd – Runaway Train

This guy will probably be pretty 'til he dies. At 104.

Had it not been Brandon Boyd singing on this track (or really any on his solo debut), it’s highly unlikely that you’d be able to sniff out any trace of Incubus. Along with its predictably creative video, lead single Runaway Train shows Boyd exploring his musical boundaries, but smartly never reaching beyond his grasp. With a maddeningly sing-a-long chorus and a simple melody backed with busy acoustic instrumentation, this is a hard one not to get addicted to.

Cut Copy – Where I’m Going

How many fucking pictures are we going to take...

Still riding high on the monstrous success of their superb 2008 album In Ghosts and Colours, the Australian synth pop trio released this single as a teaser for their follow-up, which is slated for a January ’11 release. And this thing is loaded with hooks, from the verse’s lush harmonization to the psychedelic,  Lennon-esque bridge. And while the “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! WOO!!” of the chorus feels like it should be obnoxious, it’s just done too damn well, and I’m not gonna lie – when it doesn’t appear in the final chorus, there’s always a split second where I’m looking for it. Quite possibly the feel-good anthem of the summer.

Japanese Cartoon – All Sabotage!!! (STSO)

Wutchoo lookin at bitch

With his alternative rock based side project, Japanese Cartoon, Lupe Fiasco mostly succeeds where Lil Wayne failed miserably. One of the few tracks on In the Jaws of the Lords of Death where Lupe’s faux English accent doesn’t get to be a bit much, All Sabotage!!! (STSO) (if the abundance of exclamation points isn’t a hint) is pure energy. An incredibly inspired blend of punk, electronica, and hip-hop, this track proves that these kinds of crossovers are not always bad ideas.

The Books – I Am Who I Am

Get it?? BECAUSE THEY'RE CALLED 'THE BOOKS' LOLZ

Probably the most aggressive thing this duo has ever done, which may not be saying much given their more downtempo early material, but it’s a workout all the same. I Am Who I Am feels strangely faster than its BPM, what with how quickly all the samples fly at you. Some are distorted, some are buried underneath the main synth, but just about all of them feel utterly bizarre and strangely unsettling. Nuttiness.

Mount Kimbie – Blind Night Errand

Don't take the picture while I'm squi-*CLICK*...squinting.

One of the most appealing things about Mount Kimbie’s full-length debut is how it avoids dubstep extremes, particularly how it has a bit too much kick to feel loomingly atmospheric but not enough bass to feel as if it should be played in a club. With how well it’s produced though, and how alluring the simple, warped hooks are (this track being a glaring example), this is hardly a criticism. Blind Night Errand is some very ear catching stuff, particularly in how the beat progresses into an almost R&B sound near its conclusion.

Sun Kil Moon – Sam Wong Hotel

Bummed.

One thing that takes a bit of the momentum from Sun Kil Moon’s latest is Mark Kozelek’s admittedly excellent, but at times over the top classical guitar. The virtuoso stylings don’t always mesh particularly well with the singer-songwriter format, but on tracks like this, he nails the balance perfectly. His playing is gorgeous, his voice is haunting, and the melodies are relentless, even more so throughout the instrumental sections.

Cyanotic – alt machine.edit

We're gonna be serious. Even though my beard looks dumb.

I know I’ve already gushed sufficiently over just how good this band is in my review of their latest, but they really deserved a spot on this week’s list. alt machine.edit is textbook industrial – brilliant electronics and samples, sharp guitars, and a pounding, danceable beat. I know I already stressed this in the review, but I’ll repeat myself anyway: this really is how industrial should be done.

Menomena – Dirty Cartoons

"Ooohhh shit" "Sorry dude" "Haha, NOW what's goin' on back there?"

Though this album leaked quite a while back (a fact the band understandably griped about on their twitter), it seemed appropriate to place on this list. The intense longing in the vocals is enough to reel you in, but the instrumentation merits multiple repeat listens all on its own. Steel drums, buried strings, and that throbbing bass are just a handful of things that are woven through this masterfully layered track. About as lovely as a song this sad can be, Dirty Cartoons is destined to be on many, many depressed playlists this year.

Big Boi – Tangerine

Too. Damn. Stylin'.

One of the few moments on Big Boi’s solo debut that can top the ridiculous ear candy of Shutterbug (if only by a hair) is a song about getting blown that is far more catchy than it should be. Tangerine is so loaded with hooks and fun melodies that it can almost distract from not just how great Big Boi himself is (as are Khujo Goodie and T.I.) but how damned graphic this song is! The colorful slang for ejaculation alone makes it a wonder that this song doesn’t feel sleazy in the least.