Galactic – Ya Ka May
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Maybe work is creeping into my life just a bit too much…but I think it is coincidental that my two favorite albums of the year have interesting ties to the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. To be clear, I am pretty sure that both albums came out before the spill, and neither is directly related to that mess.
Disasters have been good for Galactic. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always liked them, but when Hurricane Katrina forced them out of New Orleans they shed their acid jazz/jam band tendencies and put out a phenomenally great album with all my favorite MCs from the Bay Area. Now they are back and refocused on their home vibe. That resulted in THE best “New Orleans” album since the glory days of the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. But let’s be clear, these guys are the new face of New Orleans. Sure, they capture the horns and hop that have made the town great by working with some of the all-time greats like Allen Toussaint and Erma Thomas. But they also capture the now in NOLA with some of the uniquely local hip hop voices. From the vids below, you can see it’s a grimy, satisfying and disparate mix; a reminder of how great the town is even as it deals with the next disaster.
Call me a blasphemer, but I think Damon Albarn’s best work has been fronted by cartoons. Blur was fine, but the hooky mix he puts together as Gorillaz is far more satisfying for me, despite the “Tank Girl” artist collaboration that I could frankly do without. Plastic Beach is darker than the previous offerings with a focus on pollution concerns and fast food culture that was biting even before the Deep Water Horizon crapped up the Gulf---but it has seemed astoundingly in the moment and prescient ever since. Sure, I can do without those cartoons, but the deep, catchy sound and incredible depth to these songs has almost as much staying power as the slop on the sea floor.
Janelle Monae – ArchAndroid
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot…The Son of Chico Dusty
It was a good year for freaky folks in Atlanta. Big Boi’s release sounds every bit as good as anything he has done with Outkast. It is not as thoughtful…there is no meat to his simplistic lyrics…which is too bad because with a bit of meaning this would have had a shot to be in the all-time great hip hop pantheon. It sounds THAT good. And Janelle Monae’s album sounds even better. She steps out into the spotlight from her roll as backing vocalist for Outkast and takes more musical risks than anybody this year…or the last 5 years for that matter…maybe longer. Almost all of them pay off in this sprawling pseudo sci-fi concept album with tales of self-aware robots told movingly in salsa, punk, hip hop, torch songs, and classical overtures.
Spoon – Transference
Best band of our generation? Maybe. This is not their top release, but it is in the top 3. And given their incredible track record, that is saying a lot.
The Roots – How I Got Over
They play their own instruments. They sample Jim James. The songs on the end of the album would be headlining singles for most other hip hop albums---except that most are too smart for anyone else to even think of… All that while being the house band for a crappy late night show. These guys are incredible.
Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
An album about the famed Civil War ironclad? I am listening. Ongoing references and comparisons to Bruce Springstein aside, The Monitor is as ballsy as anything released this year. These guys wear it on their sleeves in a way that reminds me of a New Jersey version of The Pogues rather than the easy Garden State godfather of rock comparison.
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
I honestly cannot fathom why half of my friends hate this. Truly. Just don’t get why they don’t get it. They complain nothing happens, but revel in shoe gazer guitar drone…this is the same thing with keyboards, dancey beats, and lots of heart. The recent Sound Opinions interview will make you love James Murphy, though the music itself has already done that for me. Moreover, it confirmed what I already knew...this is the guy that I wanted to be when I was playing music...heck, half of my friends ARE him and don't know it. Sounds like this is the last LCD album. sniff...sniff...
Efterklang – Magic Chairs
We wandered into Imo’s at SXSW a couple years ago and were shocked by the subtle and intricate sounds coming from a gaggle of awkward-looking Swedes on stage. Pretty. Subtle. Edging on poppy, but despite being a very straight-laced, hooky sound, there was too much in the way of empty space and oddly tribal rhythms to cross the line. I had grabbed a couple albums since and was disappointed that their big sound and patiently developing live songs were not adequately captured. Until now. I am not sure how to describe this stuff aside from saying it is infinitely pleasant and approachable in a very good way…weak, I know…just buy it.
Other stuff I loved:
- Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest. They just keep making the most satisfying rock out there right now. I love this band. They already rock. Now they ache.
- The Walkmen – Lisbon. Ditto here. They do an incredible amount with a very limited palette, but keep getting better and better. This album is packed with songs that sound like updated standards…they all sound vaguely remembered and beloved…but this is all new---its just timeless.
- Here We Go Magic – Pigeons. One of the best sets I saw at Pitchfork this year. Quirky. Interesting. Textured grooves. Takes a bit of time to warm up, but work the investment.
- Girl Talk – All Day. The opposite. Dance music for smart folks with ADD. Mashups that will keep your head bouncing---and your brain occupied trying to figure out what that last 5 second sample was… And Black Sabbath/Ludacris together is genius.
- Built to Spill – There is No Enemy. Technically, this came out last year, but a return to form from one of my all-time favorites must be noted---even if I came to it late.
- Sleigh Bells – Treats. Wanna be a hater? Go ahead. But the riffs and hooks on this album are a lot of fun.
- Broken Bells – Broken Bells. Danger Mouse and James Mercer create something entirely unlike The Shins or Gnarls Barkley. It’s mellow, ragged, and worth your time.
- Ty Segall - Melted. I guess I am late to the party on this one...but wow, can you get any more fuzzed out and sludgy sounding than this without being dumped in the stoner rock ghetto? Poppy stuff if you can hear it through the distortion. The title might as well describe the style. I love this!
- Four Tet - There is Love in You and Caribou - Swim. If only all dance music was this interesting and joyous.
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