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African Scream Contest

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Great African Music Compilation

African Scream Contest: Raw And Psychedelic Afro Sounds From Benin And Togo 70’s compiled by Analog Africa



It’s been a remarkable year for African music compilations of rare tracks and this doozy from Analog Africa takes the cake. Deep raw funk from Benin and Togo that channels the soul of James Brown through a psychedelic prism of Cuban, Congolese and local traditional music. (Douglas Newman)


Rhymefest

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Great MJ Mash Up

“Man in the Mirror” by RhymeFest & Michael Jackson



Okay, so not only is this the greatest mashup album of the year, it’s just the greatest album period: RhymeFest & Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror. I listen to this everyday and can’t get sick of it. Above average rhymes + humor + MJ in his prime = Awesomeness. (I think this was 2008 but not sure.) (Clint Schaff)


Manu Chao

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Great Festival Appearance For the Stoned Set

Manu Chao at Austin City Limits Festival



This man from many lands had us all waving our hands. He was better than all the bands, and no doubt earned himself many more hands. (Weird that I just made that rhyme. Enjoy. Feel free to steal the lyrics. Creatives Commons.) (Clint Schaff)


Last Shadow Puppets

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Great Side Project

The Age of Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets



The Last Shadow Puppets is a project of Alex Turner of the band Arctic Monkeys, Miles Kane of the The Rascals, and composer/producer James Ford. Take the Monkey’s frenetic Cockney-fueled fury, soften the edges with some sweeping strings and a classy 1960’s vibe and you have a great companion to England’s most acclaimed rock and roll band since Oasis first hit the scene. (Douglas Newman)


21

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Great Soundtrack Song Selection

21 by Various Artists



Great book made into an average movie with a great soundtrack. Soulwax mix, MGMT, LCD Soundsystem, “Young Folks”, UNKLE, more… (Sandeep Ghael)


Dramarama

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Great Reunion Concert

Dramarama at the Blender Theater, NYC



I’ve been a fan of this band for like a century now and bought tickets with trepidation because a key member is missing, but they were blistering. The Blender is awesome too because you can get so close the band members sweat on you. (Nancy Litchenstein)


Seun Kuti

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Great Political Lyric

“Don’t Give That Shit to Me” by Seun Kuti (from Many Things)



Seun Kuti proved that he’s his daddy’s son when he commandeered Fela’s Ethiopia 80 to record the album Many Things. Lyrics like “Don’t bring bullshit to Africa,” a condemnation of neoliberal political and economic interventionism, sets him apart from Femi, his more conciliatory half brother, and marks him as the sort of blunt talking ironist that his father would appreciate. (Rick Sawyer)


Persepolis

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Great Soundtrack Score

Persepolis by Olivier Bernet



Actually a score rather than a soundtrack (I’m a sucker for a score), Olivier Bernet’s orchestration with Arabian and French musical influences manages to enhance both the gravity and whimsy of Marjane Satrapi’s beloved graphic novel. And there’s a French version of Frank Stallone’s “Eye of the Tiger!” (Lauren Maas)


Coconot

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Two Great Albums Released by One Artist in One Year

Pablo Diaz Reixa’s Cosa Astral (with Coconot) & Alegranza! (as El Guincho)



On the heels of the dizzying sample heavy wonder that is El Guincho’s Alegranza! comes the more organic, but equally thrilling Cosa Astral by Coconot. Both are the brainchildren of the talented Spanish artist Pablo Diaz Reixa, who proves to a creative force on par with the Animal Collective. (Douglas Newman)


T.I.

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Great Sample of a Song That’s Built on a Sample

“Swagga Like Us” by T.I. ft. Kanye, Jay-Z & Lil’ Wayne sampling M.I.A’s “Paper Planes”



It used to be rock stars that were the cockiest and thought they had the biggest dicks. No one told these guys. (Clint Schaff)


Coldplay

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Great Earworm

“Viva La Vida” by Coldplay



From the rhythmic strings to the allegedly stolen melody to the bells ringing during the bridge, Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” is catchy. Whether that’s good or bad depends on how much you like the song. But for some reason, I have a hard time getting this song out of my head when I hear it. Anyone got a bullet? (Hieu Tran)


Hauschka Ferndorf

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Great (Quasi Classical) Instrumental Album

Ferndorf by Hauschka



Summed up nicely in the Amazon review: “The fourth release from Dusseldorf-based pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann is at once nostalgic, optimistic, and weighty, with deft melody sparkling among percussion and drive. Ferndorf carries an evocative richness and depth throughout its quick-paced, often light-hearted compositions.” (Douglas Newman)


T.I.

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Great Hip Hop Lyric

Final verse “Swagga Like Us” by T.I.



“You go see Weezy for the wordplay / Jeezy for the birdplay / Kanyeezy for diversity and me for controversy / All my verses picture perfect and they meant to serve a purpose, you ain’t living what you kicking and you worthless / Looking from the surface it may seem that I got reason to be nervous / then observe my work and see that my adversity was worth it.” (Clint Schaff)


Q-Tip

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Great Hip Hop Album

The Renaissance by Q-Tip



If we have to wait another 8+ years for an equally great collection of hip hop from Q-tip, I’m ok with that and i’ll start marking the days now. (Sandeep Ghael)


One Day As a Lion

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Great Surprise Release

One Day as a Lion by Zack de la Rocha and Jon Theodore



Rage’s Zach de la Rocha FINALLY puts out something, although it’s not the long awaited solo album. This time he partners up with dude who used to play drums for Mars Volta and it sounds great…well, it sounds like Rage. Why’d we have to wait so long for this again? (Clint Schaff)


William Parker

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Great Under the Radar Jazz Album

Petit Oiseau by William Parker Quartet



William Parker is a legend who’s been wowing jazz fans with his inimitable bass chops and composing skills for nearly forty years. Whether performing as a sideman or leading his own ensemble, Parker is consistently inventive and powerful. His latest outing, with his more mainstream Quartet, is no exception, offering further proof why he deserves to be a household name. (Douglas Newman)


Bonnie Prince Billy

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Great Live Album

Is It The Sea? by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy



Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy had a great 2008, releasing a stellar studio album (Lie Down in the Light) and an even better live recording. Taken from a performance in Scotland, Is It the Sea? finds Bonnie working with Edinburgh’s Harem Scarem on close harmonies, fiddle, flute, banjo and accordion and Glasgow’s Alex Neilson on drums and percussion. With a set reaching deep into Bonnie’s catalog, the recording is full of the drama and intimacy we’ve come to cherish from one of today’s premiere performers. (Douglas Newman)


American Gangster

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Great Soundtrack Song Selection

American Gangster by Various Artists



The Anthony Hamilton songs on the soundtrack are top-notch, and was nice to see Public Enemy’s “Can’t Truss It’ prominently featured at the finale of the film. (Clint Schaff)


Thievery Corporation

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Great World Fusion Album

Radio Retaliation by Thievery Corporation



This DC-based recording artist and DJ-duo have been upping the ante with each successive release and they’ve hit a high point with Radio Retaliation, their latest collection of world beat exotica. Featuring a stellar group of collaborators (including Anoushka Shankar, Femi Kuti, and Seu Jorge) and a wide range of musical styles (dub, Afro-beat, Indian classical, Tropicalia, lounge, electronica) Radio Retaliation is an intoxicating stew of danceable intrigue. (Douglas Newman)


Deerhunter

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Great Indie “New Thing” Song

“Never Stops” by Deerhunter (from Microcastle)



Just a fantastic pop song all around, but one that pushes you into a cavernous vortex of noise rock. I’m really digging this return to the wall of sound production in current indie pop. (Sandeep Ghael)


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Comments (3)

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COMMENTS (3)
Diego21 said:

One Day as a Lion by Zack de la Rocha and Jon Theodore description is doubled on Erykah Bahdu’s album comment on the first page

Heather said:

I don’t know about your iPod commercial song. I thought Bruises by Chairlift for the Nanochromatic was pretty good. It’s on my iPod right now. Great list though

Milena said:

That was a pretty fantastic list and I learned so much. Thank you for putting it up.
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