And finally… the cathartic wrapping up of my favorites from last year. Here’s my top 10 from 2012 in no particular order. Thanks for reading everyone! It feels good to be back.

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Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city

“Okay…  now open your mind up and listen me, Kendrick / I am your conscience, if do not hear me then you will be history, Kendrick”

A complex and stirring reflection on growing up in Compton, Kendrick Lamar‘s good kid, m.A.A.d city is a record that has all parts working for it. Kendrick’s mind-boggling flow effortlessly rides between snare slaps and 808 kicks, transforming at a moment’s notice to complement this LP’s exceptional production in endlessly inventive ways. Yet for all his technical flair, it is ultimately the poignant narrative of good kid, m.A.A.d city that ascends this masterpiece to the status of modern classic. The strengths of Lamar’s storytelling are many, but remain grounded in his ability to weave together the looming themes of family, peer pressure, alcoholism and substance abuse, violence, love and lust, loss, anxiety, and survival, all the while capturing smaller moments with such detail that you feel like you’re right there with young Kendrick rollin’ down Rosecrans.

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Kendrick Lamar – Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe

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Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank)

Buy: Pick up good kid, m.A.A.d city over at Amazon.

Cashmere Cat – Mirror Maru EP // “773 Love” (Cashmere Cat Edit)

In an era where access to music is unprecedented, mysterious bedroom producers often find themselves with a unique piece of promotional capital— their lack of identity. When everything is at your fingertips, there’s nothing like a little inscrutable piece of information to drive the internet crazy. Of course, first and foremost you’ve gotta have the skills to garner the initial attention in the first place. Cashmere Cat definitely had it all.The incredible Rustie BBC Essential Mix introduced the world to “Mirror Maru”, a tune the BBC tracklist initially miscredited to “Swag5″. Within a few days it was revealed that this mix highlight was indeed the work of the 24 year old Norwegian producer born Magnus August Høiberg. Apparently he has been in the game for a little while now— appearing at the DMC World Championships as DJ Final in 2008— but really blew up in 2012 with just a taste of this track and a series of inventive and impressive remix work, peaking with his superb edit of Jeremih’s “773 Love”. He went on to release the Mirror Maru EP on DJ slow‘s Belgium-based label Pelican Fly and drop a sick remix for Ed Banger Records.

At the end of the day, I simply can’t get over Cashmere Cat’s approach to production. The spazzy, syncopated arrangements, the crisp drums and synth, the rich instrumentation and layering of sounds, the sense of space within the compositions— all pushing a perfect balance of building tension and breezy vibes. Keep your eye on this one in 2013; I guarantee he’ll be making big moves.

Buy: Get a copy of the Mirror Maru EP from Beatport and download the “773 Love” edit for free via the SoundCloud widget above.

Nicolas Jaar - The Essential Mix (BBC Edit)

Nicolas Jaar‘s monumental BBC Essential Mix was unlike any mix I heard last year. Or any other year for that matter. Ever a wizard of sound, Jaar touches on just about everything over these two hours— Twin Peaks, folk, Jay-Z, classical, jazz, teen pop, juke, contemporary classical, soul, minimal techno, and the obscured spaces in between. Yet for all its eclecticism, this mix is remarkably seamless, skewing all into a dark and reflective vibe that has Jaar’s inimitable fingerprints all over it. Even sweeter, Jaar’s label Clown & Sunset made an edit available that removes all the pesky BBC Radio 1 station drops and banter. Shouts out to Pete Tong, but frankly this opus deserves to stand alone. I’ve listened to the mix in full over a half dozen times at this point and it’s still astounding.

Buy: Download this mix via the SoundCloud widget above.

Rustie – BBC Essential Mix

Rustie also forged one of the most exciting pieces of music in 2012 with his contribution to the BBC Essential Mix series. An eclectic masterpiece altogether different from Nicolas Jaar’s work, this mix is propelled by dense, low-end heavy electronics, huge club jams, hip-hop bangers, Zelda samples, and Rustie’s propensity for the maximal. The results are mind-blowing. Rustie’s frenzied mix is two hours of fervent energy with just the right amount of respite, leaving you teetering on the edge of exhaustion as the cool waves of the unreleased Rustie jam “444Sure” wash over you at the finale. Full of exclusives, this mix was also the source of much clamoring on internet forums and blogs for a number of unbelievably dope tracks— Baauer‘s massive trap anthems “Harlem Shake” and “Dum Dum”, Dorian Concept‘s sick remix of Cid Rim‘s “Draw”, Cashmere Cat‘s indelible “Mirror Maru”, and of course a veritable LP’s worth of new and unreleased material from Rustie himself. Will those Rustie tracks ever see the light of day? Who knows. Until then, enjoy this epic mix at the stream below.

Andy Stott – Luxury Problems

Before the release of his excellent Luxury Problems, I had the pleasure of seeing Andy Stott perform during the Modern Love Records showcase at Decibel Festival in Seattle. In the basement underneath Melrose Market, Stott laid down a mind-melting set that was ultimately my favorite of the entire festival. Most of the material he played was from this unbelievably heavy LP, which is a big step forward even after last year’s excellent pair of EPs: Passed Me By and We Stay Together. The haunting compositions of Luxury Problems build slowly upon murky drones and loops, swampy 4/4 bass kicks, and haunting, angelic vocal work from Andy Stott’s childhood piano teacher Alison Skidmore. A balance between delicate beauty and ominous dread, this record feels like death. Not a terrifying death, but rather a patient, creeping shift into another dimension, the ethereal voice of forgotten ancestors guiding your way through the shadow to the other side. No finality, simply a beautiful and mournful transition to another world.

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Andy Stott – Numb

Buy: Get a copy of Luxury Problems over at Bleep. You can also stream the whole LP at the Modern Love SoundCloud page.

John Talabot – ƒIN

2012 was a year saturated with excellent electronic releases, as many producers propelled house, bass, garage, juke, and the like into new territory. Barcelona’s John Talabot took a particularly fresh and forward-thinking approach to house music, infusing his balaeric cuts with spectacular depth. The sonically rich ƒIN is alive with mood and texture, full of dense compositions that plunge through a murk of melancholy up to introspective, crescendoing highs. Talabot’s varied and propellant percussion, tropical melodies, and lush layers of synth converge to form a vibrant pulse that never allows the record to stray too far into darkness. And it’s that cool interplay between the light and its shadows that make ƒIN one of the more nuanced and rewarding listens of 2012. Stream “Destiny” and “So Will Be Now”, two standouts from the record featuring vocalist/producer Pional, below.

Buy: Pick up ƒIN over at Bleep.

Lil Ugly Mane – Mista Thug Isolation

“Bitch, I’m morose and lugubrious / I’ma let the uzi spit / turn his face into gooey shit“

Word is that before he became a rapper, Richmond’s Lil Ugly Mane was deep in the noise/black metal scene. A fact not all that surprising when you consider the monumentally harsh gloom of his 2012 LP Mista Thug Isolation. Building off that classic mid-90s Memphis sound, this is a record birthed from the darkest underbelly of the 9th circle of southern hip-hop. The theme is executed with tight precision— from the lurid cover art, to Shawn Kemp’s dense and gritty production, to Ugly Mane’s brutal and pessimistic lyricism. Of course, it’s also all cleverly delivered with a subtle tongue-in-cheek self-awareness that imparts a grimy intellect and sick sense of humor to album: “I’ma slit my wrists, no tourniquet, I’m murderous / My crib got more burners than furnishin’ / Got a lot of haters, not concerned with it / The Earth revolve around earning currency, Copernicus / I leave you scared stupider than Earnest is“. The many layers of Mista Thug Isolation easily transcend Lil Ugly Mane from proficient horrorcore-thug revivalist to a one of hip-hop’s most exciting MCs.

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Lil Ugly Mane – Serious Shit

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LIl Ugly Mane – Cup Fulla Beetlejuice

Buy: Grab Mista Thug Isolation for $5 over at Lil Ugly Mane’s Bandcamp page.

Baauer – “Harlem Shake” b/w “Yaow!”

Baauer was taking trap to the next level before it became an absurd playground for e-tarded bros at HARD Festival. Which didn’t take much time at all. The internet’s consensus is that trap was birthed when Flosstradamus dropped their huge remix of Major Lazer’s “Original Don” a little over a year ago. O Trap how quickly ye have grown! Yet, however oversaturated or polluted with knockoff artists this genre tag may become, Baauer feels like a producer who will continue to hold it down and elevate for as long as he’s fuckin’ wit it. Both “Harlem Shake” and its flipside “Yaow!” are nothing less than bangers of gargantuan proportion. Huge low-end radiates through rave synth squelch, pitch-shifted vocals, Lion roars, snare roll bursts, and Lex Luger-like crescendos. Try to drop these tracks and not go H.A.M… it’s just not gonna happen.

Buy: Download the “Harlem Shake” b/w “Yaow!” single for free via the SoundCloud widgets above.

Ryan Hemsworth – Slowed Summer

In a year where Ryan Hemsworth totally outdid himself, it was difficult to decide on just one offering from this rising Halifax producer. However, I felt this particular mix— and he put out many this year— perfectly captured the collective consciousness of internet rap nerd culture in 2012. An amalgam of #RARE SNES and PS1 bootlegs, exclusive trap bangers, future bass anthems, and dumb, boastful hip-hop, Slowed Summer sounds like my adolescence crashing head first into the here-and-now. Diddy Kong‘s takin’ shots at yer crew while Alucard‘s poppin’ bands in the club, all to a soundtrack of the best thugged-out SoundCloud jams you never heard. Damn. And in 2013 this guy is straight up sampling Final Fantasy VI?!? Don’t hurt ‘em, Hemsworth.

V/A – West In Dust 2012

In my opinion, West In Dust 2012 was by the far the most promising label compilation I heard last year. The joint project of Rave Deep (aka David Reep, aka Elephant & Castle) and the notably busy Glenn Jackson — who plays in James & Evander and Hoodcats, produces tracks under his own name, helps head blog/web-label MAPZZZ, and writes for XLR8R — West in Dust is a new electronic label based in Oakland that is full of burgeoning talent from the Bay Area, Chicago, Montreal, Melbourne, and beyond. Their inaugural comp is an incredibly consistent offering that flows as well as any album, yet also highlights the individuality and distinct talents of each featured artist. That is, West in Dust 2012 presents an impressively unified artistic vision without ever becoming homogenous or repetitive. Even more exciting for me was the fact that I really only knew a handful of the artists that make up this comp. To have all of them deliver is unexpected to say the least and speaks volumes not only of their talents, but also of the taste levels of selectors David Reep and Glenn Jackson. West in Dust will likely be a force to reckon with in 2013, so be sure to pay attention.

Buy: You can download West in Dust 2012 over at the West in Dust Bandcamp page.

And now for the second part of my random musings on music in 2012… and if you missed it, you can view Part 1 right over here.

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Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE

Frank Ocean‘s unfolding story was one of the most beautiful and honest of 2012. His heartfelt letter that touched on his experiences of the past few years and the complexities of human sexuality set the tone for his moving performance of “Bad Religion” on Jimmy Fallon and later release of his excellent debut studio album channel ORANGE. This powerhouse of forward-thinking R&B was a grower for me, the subtlety and strength of Ocean’s earnest compositions unfurling further with each repeated listen. Of course, I don’t think anyone can deny the immediacy of devastating standout “Thinkin’ Bout You”. Take a listen below.

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Frank Ocean – Thinkin’ Bout You

Buy: Get a copy of channel ORANGE over at Amazon.

Traxman – Da Mind of Traxman

Da Mind of Traxman, another masterpiece of juke from 2012, is one of the most versatile and original offerings in the history of the genre. With savvy vocal flips, slick jazz samples, gritty 303 synth, and brutal, distorted guitar cut-ups, Traxman lays down an LP’s worth of next level shit. The particularly eyebrow-raising album opener “Footworkin on Air” rides in with a hypnotic and ethereal kalimba riff that Traxman deftly deconstructs and reforms over bubbling arpeggios, booming bass hits, and syncopated snare slaps. The mind of Traxman is an otherworldly nebula indeed, so breathe deep and enjoy the trip.

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Traxman – Footworkin On Air

Buy: Pick up Da Mind of Traxman over at Planet Mu.

Holy Other – Held

A deep, spectral meditation from mysterious Manchester producer Holy Other, Held is exactly the kind of release one might expect from one of Tri Angle Records‘ finest. These compositions are forlorn and brooding at their core, but remain gracefully balanced with euphoric and emotional highs. Haunting vocal fragments pulsate across surging ambience, droning synth, and rich drum work; plaintive calls from beyond the veil that color Held with a mournful and nostalgic hue. Stream the gorgeous title track below and listen in awe as Holy Other effortlessly bends the despondent first half into the transcendent prayer that closes the song.

Buy: Get a copy of Held over at Bleep.

DJ D’Nelski - Hush Hush Presents: Distant Lights Vol. 1

I’ve already mentioned Kid Smpl‘s excellent debut LP, but the founding of Hush Hush Records also brought us this sweet night bus mix from label head and KEXP DJ Alex Ruder (aka DJ D’Nelski). A beautiful introduction to these kinds of tunes for anyone who’s slept on it thus far, Distant Lights Vol. 1 blends the cream of the crop from the Hush Hush monthly DJ night in rainy Seattle. An appropriate soundtrack of hazy beats and screwed and spaced out R&B, this mix is drowned in a distinct emotional pulse— don’t be afraid to succumb to the vibes and let yourself feel.

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DJ D’Nelski – Hush Hush Presents: Distant Lights Vol. 1

Download: Head over to the Hush Hush Records page to download this mix.

Danny Brown – “Witit”

This track— a bonus track on the deluxe edition of 2011′s stellar XXX-– is nothing short of the most monstrous hip-hop banger to drop last year. SKYWLKR’s production is completely bonkers, a poltergeist beast of subs and ascending synth shrill, and Danny Brown goes straight ignorant on it: “She rubbin’ all on them titties like my name was Biggie / But I don’t know no Diddy, but got Dirty Money with me / Got some Bobby and that Whitney for Christina and Britney / She sippin’ then she get tipsy, then she drop it low and get get it”. This is rap nihilism at its finest.

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Danny Brown – Witit

Buy: Get a copy of XXX (Deluxe Edition) over at Beatport or head to Fool’s Gold Records to get The OD EP picture disc vinyl.

Perseus – “Seychelles”

This dancefloor banger from French Express label head Perseus may be quite familiar to those of you who checked out Face of Another, the audio/visual mix I made last year with Marilia Maschion. I seriously cannot get enough of this one. Centered on an incredible Toni Braxton sample, “Seychelles” is a deep piece of disco-tinged house that’s as tropical as its namesake. With an infectious chord progression, killer synth tones, and production that’s so crisp and clean, this is easily one of my favorite dance jams of the past few years.

Buy: You can download the “Seychelles” b/w “Love in Zanzibar” single for free from the French Express Soundcloud page.

Burial – Kindred

Sheesh, what can I even say about Burial? Kindred is yet another masterful and mold-breaking offering from the enigmatic London producer. For these three extended compositions Burial effortlessly cycles through layers and layers of sound, imbuing this EP with unmistakable mood and atmosphere. The dark and seductive title track is eleven and a half minutes of sublime drone, unearthly vocal flips, grimy breakbeat, vinyl crackle, and static that will engulf you. Peerless.

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Burial – Kindred

Buy: Download a copy of the Kindred EP directly from Hyperdub.

Check out my twenty five favorite records in the concluding segment of my two-part “Oh hey I never posted these, I probably should have done that” series. Though not that relevant anymore, how could I pass up a chance to post that sweet header image from Portland artist Ilan Schraer? But seriously, the above piece is awesome and so are these records. Definitely check out the ones you might have missed.

Tomorrow we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming…

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25. Rafter – Animal Feelings

[Buy] [Listen]

24. The Roots – How I Got Over

[Buy] [Listen]

23. Glasser – Ring

[Buy] [Listen]

22. Vampire Weekend – Contra

[Buy] [Listen]

21. Big K.R.I.T. – K.R.I.T. Wuz Here

[Buy] [Listen]

20. Earl Sweatshirt – EARL

[Download] [Listen]

19. Onra – Long Distance

[Buy] [Listen]

18. Tyler, the Creator – Bastard

[Download] [Listen]

17. Mulatu Astatke – Mulatu Steps Ahead

[Buy] [Listen]

16. Field Music – Measure

[Buy] [Listen]

15. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)

[Buy] [Listen]

14. Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me

[Buy] [Listen]

13. Curren$y – Pilot Talk

[Buy] [Listen]

12. Menomena – Mines

[Buy] [Listen]

11. Teebs – Ardour

[Buy] [Listen]

10. Four Tet – There Is Love in You

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Download: Four Tet – Angel Echoes
Buy: Order There Is Love in You directly from Domino Records.

09. Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner

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Download: Gold Panda – You
Buy: Get Lucky Shiner over at the Ghostly International Store.

08. Caribou – Swim

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Download: Caribou – Odessa
Buy: Buy Swim directly from Merge Records.

07. Curren$y – Pilot Talk II

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Download: Curren$y – Hold On (Feat. Young Roddy & Trademark)
Buy: Order Pilot Talk II from Amazon.

06. Toro y Moi – Causers of This

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Download: Toro y Moi – Low Shoulder
Buy: Causers of This is available via Carpark Records.

05. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

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Download: Big Boi – Shutterbugg (Feat. Cutty)
Buy: Order Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty from Amazon.

04. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today

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Download: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round and Round
Buy: Grab Before Today over at Insound.

03. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

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Download: Kanye West – Monster (Feat. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, & Bon Iver)
Buy: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is available at Insound.

02. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

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Download: LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean
Buy: Get This Is Happening from any of these vendors.

01. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma

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Download: Flying Lotus – Zodiac Shit
Buy: Pick up Cosmogramma over at BLEEP.

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Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):

Abe Vigoda – Crush
Avey Tare – Down There
Baths – Cerulean
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
The-Dream – Love King
Maps & Atlases -  Perch Patchwork
Mount Kimbie – Crooks & Lovers
Pantha du Prince – Black Noise
Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
Teengirl Fantasy – 7AM
Tera Melos – Patagonian Rats
Women – Public Strain

So… uhh… I never posted these lists. I had grand illusions of actually completing blurbs for all of them, but as time passed and they became less and less relevant it started to feel a little superfluous. After all, a week is a year on the internet, etc. But back in real life these are all still good albums that deserved to get their due here and elsewhere. In consideration of that, listen below and go buy some. Albums next.

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5. Kingdom -That Mystic

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Download: Kingdom – Fogs
Buy: Pick up That Mystic at BLEEP.

4. Freddie Gibbs – Str8 Killa

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Download: Freddie Gibbs – Live By the Game
Buy: Download Str8 Killa from eMusic.

3. Flying Lotus – Pattern+Grid World

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Download: Flying Lotus – Camera Day
Buy: Buy Pattern+Grid World over at BLEEP.

2. Games – That We Can Play

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Download: Games – Strawberry Skies (Feat. Laurel Halo)
Buy: Pick up That We Can Play at BLEEP.
Watch: Check out Franck Deron’s rad found footage video for Games’ remix of CFCF’s “It Was Never Meant to Be”.

1. James Blake – The Bells Sketch / CMYK / Klavierwerke

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Download: James Blake – CMYK
Buy: Grab all three EPs over here.

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Honorable Mentions:

Botany – Feeling Today [Listen] [Buy]
Dom – Sun Bronzed Greek Gods [Listen] [Buy]
Girls – Broken Dreams Club [Listen] [Buy]
Letherette – Letherette [Listen] [Buy]
Tropics – Soft Vision [Listen] [Buy]
The War on Drugs – Future Weather [Listen] [Buy]
Wild Nothing – Evertide [Listen] [Buy]

As promised, here is a list of my 50 favorite songs from 2010 (links to streams and music videos included). This list has changed a half-dozen times or so since it was originally compiled, but I’ve always found it difficult to settle on a set of tracks for very long. That being said, the vast majority of the original 50 songs remain in this incarnation of the list — a testament to their strength — but have simply shuffled around in relative standing to one another. Chances are I’ll even make some slight adjustments as I type this out, but here goes…

50. Panda Bear – “Last Night at the Jetty”
49. Washed Out – “You and I” (Feat. Caroline Polachek)
48. Women – “Eyesore”
47. Donwill – “Love Junkie” (Feat. The Park) (Wallpaper. Remix)
46. Big K.R.I.T. – “Hometown Hero”
45. Gold Panda – “Same Dream China”
44. Deerhunter – “Helicopter”
43. Aloe Blacc – “I Need a Dollar”
42. Freddie Gibbs – “The Ghetto”
41. Gauntlet Hair – “I Was Thinking…”
40. Toro y Moi – “Low Shoulder”
39. Sleigh Bells – “Tell ‘Em”
38. Flying Lotus – “Dance of the Pseudo Nymph”
37. Teengirl Fantasy – “Cheaters”
36. El Guincho – “Bombay”
35. Erykah Badu – “Umm Hmm”
34. Active Child – “When Your Love Is Safe” (Classixx Remix)
33. Jamaica – “Short and Entertaining”
32. Rafter – “Fruit”
31. El Guincho – “Novias”
30. White Hinterland – “Icarus”
29. Rusko – “Hold On” (Feat. Amber Coffman) (Sub Focus Remix)
28. Young Montana? – “Sacré Cool”
27. Breakbot – “Baby I’m Yours” (Feat. Irfane)
26. Curren$y – “Audio Dope II”

Peep the top 25 after the jump.

Continue reading →

Artwork by Ilan Schraer.

Yes, finally! Last year was full of great music, but these twenty five records (and handful of honorable mentions) represent the best of 2009 in my ears. Feel free to post what moved you in the previous year or what you can’t believe didn’t make this list in the comments.

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25. Phaseone – Thanks But No Thanks

[Website] [Free Download] [Original Post]

24. Lil’ Wayne – No Ceilings

[Website] [Free Download]

23. Fever Sleeves – Soft Pipes, Play On

[Website] [Free Download] [Original Post]

22. Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

21. Tyondai Braxton – Central Station

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

20. Nero’s Day at Disneyland – From Rotting Fantasylands

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

19. Here We Go Magic – Here We Go Magic

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

18. Atlas Sound – Logos

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

17. Dâm-Funk – Toeachizown

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

16. Taken By Trees – East of Eden

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

15. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

14. The-Dream – Love vs. Money

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

13. Volcano Choir – Unmap

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

12. Girls – Album

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

11. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

[Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

10. WHY? – Eskimo Snow

True to basically every WHY? record to date, Eskimo Snow was an album that slowly grew on me with each successive listen. Traversing the greatest span of any thus far — from genuine uncertainty to my tenth favorite of last year — this recent effort fits perfectly in the continuing thematic arc of Yoni Wolf’s  on-record persona. His dark, self-deprecating, yet often humorous musings drip with a solemn acceptance not found on previous works, his typically sarcastic resistance diminished into resignation. Eskimo Snow‘s relative gloom is at once propelled and balanced by its open production and rich compositions; its melancholic melodies may pull at heart strings, but here WHY?’s rippling, interlocking arpeggios of guitar, piano, and vibraphone soar within an impressive breadth of space, instilling the subtlest sense of hope against the odds that Wolf lays out quite explicitly: “I wish I could feel close to somebody but I don’t feel nothin’ / Now they say I need to quit doing all this random ffffff— / Now I think my upstairs neighbor hears me masturbatin’ / And there’s other one’s peepin’ through the slits in my curtains / And I never got a name for my shady compulsion / ‘Cause I messed up and kissed my shrink in a Jersey City hotel room… / …and I know sayin’ all this in public should make me feel funny / But ya gotta yell somethin’ out you’d never tell nobody.” I’m not sure if it’s helping him at all, but Wolf’s catharsis is decidedly our gain.

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Download: WHY? – This Blackest Purse
Buy: Order Eskimo Snow from Anticon Records as CD or LP.

9. Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light

It seems to be an increasingly remarkable occurrence, in our current era, when an artist is able to construct an identity that stands in stark contrast to those of his or her contemporaries. New York singer, composer, theatrical and visual artist Antony Hegarty should certainly be counted as one of a shrinking number of such artists. His latest album, The Crying Light, is another devastating work, every piece crafted with staggering grace and care. In this mournful exploration of birth, life, death, nature, identity and the complex interplay between these forces, Antony and his chamber orchestra infuse his arrangements with overwhelming emotion, relying on sparse instrumentation that yields implausibly rich textures and soundscapes. Beyond compositional strength, the emotional depth of The Crying Light is bolstered by Antony’s otherworldly vocal performance. At once capable of controlled, trembling warbles, pained croons, and magnificent, chill-inducing caterwauls, his distinctive voice perfects the expressive realization of this record – what other way is there to convey the crushing tragedy of a song like “Another World”? “I need another world, this one’s nearly gone / Still have too many dreams, never seen the light / I need another world, a place where I can go” could never sound more sad or beautiful. [Originally published in Treble's Top 50 Albums of 2009]

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Download: Antony and the Johnsons – Another World
Buy: Pick up The Crying Light over at the Antony and the Johnsons webstore.

8. jj – jj n°2

Though Joakin and Elin have finally been officially revealed to the world as the starry-eyed individuals behind jj, there’s still very little information out there about these Swedish popsters. Some wonderfully melodramatic interviews have cropped up — one in English, one translated from Italian mag PIG — but don’t look for a website, blog (to speak of), MySpace, Facebook page, or twitter account to help shed light on this playfully mysterious duo. Though with the way they wear their hearts on their sleeves, there may be little more for jj to share with those who have already adsorbed the hazy, summery pop gems they dropped in 2009. A brief, tropical swirl of balearic and folk tinged pop, their debut record jj n° 2 fits in perfectly as the chilled-out flipside to the breezy electronica of labelmates The Tough Alliance and Air France. Released on July 1st, it follows both A New Chance and No Way Down as Sincerely Yours’ latest stake on continued dominance of the “summer jam”. And with tracks as irresistible as the sunny and uplifting “From Africa to Málaga”, the drugged-out and euphoric “Lollipop”-remake “Ecstasy”, and the buoyant “Masterplan”, jj n° 2 may be the most convincing one yet. [An edit from Overlooked Records (Pt. 1)]

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Download: jj – From Africa to Málaga
Buy: Stream and download jj n° 2 at the Sincerely Yours digital store.

7. St. Vincent – Actor

Brooklyn’s indie sweetheart Annie Clark has two excellent records under her belt as St. Vincent. Last year’s effort, the dynamic and affecting Actor, is a masterful blend of woozy chamber-pop, driving guitar-rock, and honeyed, jazz standard-tinged croons. For this album, which is even stronger and more refined than her last, Annie shifted through a myriad of roles as songwriter as she immersed herself in some of her favorite films and crafted her own soundtracks to particularly striking moments using her computer. Her initial MIDI compositions are fleshed out here into full-bodied songs, featuring a vibrant swell of woodwinds, strings, synthesizers, and guitars. At once cinematic, intimate, dramatic, and whimsical, Actor is a cool and confident work that both demonstrates Annie Clark’s growth as an artist and whets the appetite for what St. Vincent will give us next.

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Download: St. Vincent – The Strangers
Buy: Order Actor from Beggars Group USA as MP3 ($8), FLAC ($10), CD ($12), or LP ($12, free mp3 download).

6. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II

Album sequels can be a tricky business, especially when an artist sets up an upcoming record as a sequel to a work held to be the best in their discography, let alone one of the greatest hip-hop records ever made. Results have included some modern classics like Tha Carter III and unexpected comebacks like Stillmatic, but there’s been plenty more disappointments (I’m looking at you Blueprint 2 and 3) along the way. Even against these odds, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II finds Raekwon comfortably reprising his role as ice-cold kingpin and cinematic storyteller, crafting an opus worthy of sharing the name of the original classic. These bleak tales thoroughly detail intersecting lives caught up in inner city drug trade and its associated fallouts with the same grit and vivid hood slang poetry that permeates the greatest Wu-Tang records. Intense, disturbing, grimy, eloquent, and inimitable, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II is easily one of the best hip-hop albums of the last few years. [From Overlooked Records (Pt. 1)]

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Download: Raekwon – House of Flying Daggers (Feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface & Method Man)
Buy: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II is available from Amazon, Insound, or Rhapsody.

5. Mos Def – The Ecstatic

“ZOMG!1!! The Ecstatic over OB4CL2!!11??!?!” Yeah hip-hop heads, I said it. Both could be considered return-to-form records, but for some reason I found The Ecstatic a bit more satisfying than its excellent counterpart in ’09 rap-dominance. In fact, I’d probably agree that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II is the better album, objectively. Maybe I just have higher expectations for Raekwon, or maybe I simply didn’t think Mos Def had another record like this in him. While there’s no doubt that the significant amount of stellar Stones Throw production is a big help to The Ecstatic‘s overall dopeness, everything on this record sounds inspired — even “No Hay Nada Mas”, over-the-top accent or no. Mos Def’s flow is fierce and agile as he rides beats of all sorts of sounds and textures, flipping between quick, rapid-fire rhyme assaults, smooth, distinctive sung passages, and cool, swagger-full verses that recall all the things that made this MC so exciting in the first place, all the while pushing into refreshing new territory.

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Download: Mos Def – Auditorium (Feat. Slick Rick)
Buy: Pick up The Ecstatic on LP and CD over at Insound or as an mp3 download at Amazon.

4. Fever Ray – Fever Ray

Taking some time away from her work with her brother Olof in The Knife, Karin Dreijer Andersson revealed her own solo material as Fever Ray and toured pretty extensively in 2009. Her self-titled debut was a phenomenal record, but was propelled beyond even that by a particular fascination with merging the realms of sound and vision. On top of the incredible stage and costume design that visual artist Andreas Nilsson brings to the live performances of both The Knife and now Fever Ray, half of the songs from this album were further brought to life with often-brilliant music videos, directed by Nilsson and other collaborators. Of course, this approach wouldn’t be as effective were the music not so well suited for expansion and embellishment. Devoid of any accompanying visual components, the dense electronica of Fever Ray itself inspires a torrent of emotion and dark imagery. Andersson’s languid vocals, at times distorted through pitch-shifted dementia, pierce cold soundscapes of blips, bleeps, bass thumps, synth loops, and ominous ambience with cryptic meditations (“Uncover our heads and reveal our souls / We were hungry before we were born”) and devastating lyrical gloom (“If I had a heart I could love you / If I had a voice I would sing”). The resulting opus is one of the most engrossing musical experiences of the previous decade, a fully crafted piece of art in the age of blogability.

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Download: Fever Ray – If I Had a Heart
Buy: You can get the standard or deluxe edition of Fever Ray over at Insound.

3. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

What was it about 2009 that made so many bands crank out their most impressive work to date? Was it some supernatural confluence of creative energies or just plain luck? Dirty Projectors may or may not be able to help answer that question, but their excellent debut for Domino Records, Bitte Orca, was undoubtedly one of the many monumental musical achievements of the year. Mastermind and frontman Dave Longstreth has traveled one of the more obtuse and challenging paths in indie music this decade, one that has both drawn some into a cult-like reverence and repelled others, but never before has his work rewarded listeners so fully. An album that comfortably straddles the lines between art, pop, technical prowess, and accessible songwriting, Bitte Orca takes the ideas explored on the Dirty Projectors’ 2007 record Rise Above and pushes them to their logical and more realized conclusion. Here the emphasis falls decisively on the inspired interplay between Longstreth’s intricate, Jùjú-influenced guitar work and the stunning vocal harmonies of Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian. From the bright, fractured pop of “Temecula Sunrise”, to the R&B-like groove of “Stillness is the Move”, to the massive, layered anthem “Useful Chamber”, Bitte Orca is a complex listen that accomplishes a whole lot in just nine songs, reconciling its numerous parts in a manner that is refreshingly comprehensive and original. [Originally published in Treble's Top 50 Albums of 2009]

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Download: Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is the Move
Buy: You can pick up Bitte Orca as CD, LP, Cassette, or digital download from Domino Records.

2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

The third full-length from Brooklyn’s Grizzly Bear is no doubt their most successful to date. Even with an early, widely circulated leak, Veckatimest still ended up becoming one of a number of impressive indie showings on the Billboard charts, selling 33,000 copies its first week and debuting at #8. More importantly, this record also happens to be Grizzly Bear’s most captivating and fully developed, its lush, orchestral psych-pop elevated and completed by the skilled production of bassist Chris Taylor. Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen again trade songwriting and lead vocal duties to great effect, imparting their own unique flourishes to Veckatimest‘s swirl and swell of catchy and distinctive guitar work, hook-laden keyboards, elaborate and affecting vocal harmonies, and haunting choral passages. Further reinforced by subtle and stirring string arrangements from New York wonder-boy composer Nico Muhly, as well as some excellent backup work from Beach House‘s Victoria Legrand and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, this complex, emotive, and finely-tuned work ascends to the realm of greatness with no shortage of effort. But treading where others would come off as overwrought, Droste and Rossen’s rich and immaculate compositions are simply constructed with precise prowess, vision, and care.

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Download: Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Buy: Order Veckatimest as CD or LP from Insound.

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

What’s left to say about Merriweather Post Pavilion? Perhaps the most anticipated, discussed, hyped, acclaimed, loved, and hated-on record of 2009, this album — like so many in their discography — found Animal Collective reinventing themselves as they climbed into impossible-to-foresee, but ultimately logical, new territory. Without fourth member Deakin for Merriweather, the threesome of Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist continued A.C.’s increasingly pop-driven trajectory into a world of melodic, low-end heavy electronics, massive vocal harmonies, considerably less abrasive songcraft, and unbelievably dense production with the help of recording engineer Ben Allen (P. Diddy, Christina Aguilera, Gnarls Barkley). And while there are some touchstones as far as influence is concerned (Beach Boys, house music), good luck coming up with any meaningful direct comparisons to Animal Collective’s sound on this landmark recording or otherwise. This is a largely unexplored sonic expanse, yet A.C. seem to feel incredibly comfortable and confident — maybe more than they ever have — in making the most enjoyable experimental music you’ve ever heard.

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Download: Animal Collective – My Girls
Buy: Merriweather Post Pavilion is available as CD, LP, or MP3s over at Domino Records.

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Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):

Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]
Clues – Clues [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]
Dananananaykroyd – Hey Everyone! [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]
Gentle Friendly – Ride Slow [Website] [Buy]
Japandroids – Post-Nothing [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]
Javelin – Jamz n Jemz [Website]
Lotus Plaza – The Floodlight Collective [Buy] [Original Post]
Phaseone – White Collar Crime [Website] [Free Download] [Original Post]
Real Estate – Real Estate [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]
Kurt Vile – God Is Saying This to You… [Website] [Buy]
Wallpaper – Doo Doo Face [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]
Wavves – Wavvves [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]
Yoñlu – A Society in Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre [Website] [Buy] [Original Post]

Maybe I’m mad late on these last two lists, but it’s never a bad time to catch up on the music you may have missed last year. So let’s get to it. Here are my favorite EPs from 2009, LPs comin’ at ya next.

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5. Julianna Barwick – Florine

Julianna Barwick is a solo artist without many contemporary reference points. Some lazy writers have uttered the unconscionable “Enya”, but the vocal-centric haze of Florine is only debased by those kinds of offhand references. Maybe you could identify some tenuous threads to the atmospheric dream pop of Cocteau Twins or the patient drone of Grouper, but Barwick probably has a more convincing connection to Gothic choral music. Her stunning 2009 EP features a synthesizer-assisted choir of her own design, her impressive voice overlaid on top of itself in interlocking, dreamlike loops until the resulting canvas of noises subtly transforms, washing over the listener in mesmerizing waves. Florine is a surreal experience, a vaporous work that imparts you with a feeling of hazy, calm contentedness. And presumably, it’s unlike many of the records you’ve heard this year, this decade, or beyond.

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Download: Julianna Barwick – Cloudbank
Buy: You can pick up Florine over at Insound or eMusic.

4. Big Spider’s Back – Warped

Easily one of best breakthrough artists to come out of the chillwave scene, Big Spider’s Back redefined and transcended such a genre labeling last year with his latest exceptional EP. Brimming with richly textured, pulsating layers of sound, Warped may have been solely crafted by Seattle’s Yair Rubinstein with familiar and modest means  — delayed guitars, ethereal synth, hypnotic sample-work — but this effort climbs to sonic heights that elude many of his supposed peers. Yair strikes a superb balance between spaced-out soundscaping and catchy, centered songcraft, staking claim to his own distinct niche amongst commonly traversed ground in 2009. Take a listen to the lush, surging sampledelic gem “Perfect Machine” down below and all will become clear. [Original Post]

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Download: Big Spider’s Back – Perfect Machine
Buy: Order the EP from Circle Into Square as a CD or MP3s.

3. Destroyer – Bay of Pigs

Over the course of a decade and a half, Dan Bejar has built a lengthy, satisfying discography from his bombastic, glam-and-folk-tinged rock epics. And despite his bold decision to feature extensive MIDI sequencing on 2004′s Your Blues, last year’s two track EP Bay of Pigs easily represents the most significant departure within that impressive catalog. Handily delivering on early descriptions as “Destroyer‘s first foray into the ambient disco market”, the title track is a pulsating, slow-building beast that wallows in spacey, cresendoing waves before bursting into slightly more familiar territory — though Bejar’s guitars remain a decidedly scant feature amongst its repeat-worthy thirteen-and-a-half minutes. And those familiar Destroyer tools don’t make so much as an appearance on “Ravers”, which cheekily renames and remakes buoyant Trouble in Dreams standout “Rivers” as pure electronic dirge. I get the feeling that this isn’t a permanent paradigm shift for Bejar, but nonetheless these gems combine for a surprisingly successful new approach and a great EP.

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Buy: Stream and buy the whole EP over at Merge Records.

2. Bon Iver – Blood Bank

In two short years, Justin Vernon went from pretty obscure Wisconsin folk-rocker to a soon-to-be ubiquitous figure in indie music who’s work as Bon Iver has been heavily lauded by critics and listeners alike. This now hometown hero was included in last year’s big benefit comp, invited to help soundtrack a tween vampire blockbuster and was even covered by prog-rock icon Peter Gabriel for his Scratch My Back / I’ll Scratch Yours project. His latest, a follow-up EP to his breakthrough album For Emma, Forever Ago, is a fittingly meditative opus, full of Vernon’s distinct falsetto and patient, tender songcraft. “Blood Bank”, originally recorded for his Bon Iver debut, and “Beach Baby” set the emotional tone in more familiar terms before he pushes through new minimalist spaces, closing the EP with the Reich-like “Babys” and the stunning auto-tune acapella “Woods”. Those latter tracks turned out to be a nice prelude to the stellar Volcano Choir record, Vernon’s loop-heavy, experimental-pop project with Collections of Colonies of Bees, but actually witnessing his evolution of styles over Blood Bank‘s four songs makes for an even more satisfying listen. [Original Post]

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Download: Bon Iver – Blood Bank
Buy: You can get Blood Bank from Jagjaguwar Records as CD, LP, or MP3s.

1. Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind

In a career full of forward progression — artistically, critically, and in terms of their growing fan base — 2009 was undoubtedly a big year for Animal Collective. Releasing a record as anticipated and well-received as Merriweather Post Pavilion would be a monumental achievement in itself, but for a band this prolific apparently it wasn’t enough. Before the year was over, Animal Collective had released an EP of new material that some were comfortable in proclaiming as better than the impossibly excellent MPP. I’m not one of those people, but I will say that, for me, Fall Be Kind decisively ascended above much of the music released in 2009, EP or otherwise. The production is perhaps even more impressive than that of the dense Merriweather; the tones and textures here are denser still and impressively dynamic, pushing into piercing, austere extremes at one moment and glowing with diffuse warmth at others, always working in perfect tandem with it’s meticulous constructed songs. And then, of course, there’s the songs themselves. From the seemingly magic forest-soundtracking pan-flute of “Graze”, to the Grateful Dead-sampling transcendence of “What Would I Want? Sky”, all the way through the towering, hypnotic, and undeniably Panda Bear-penned “I Think I Can”, Fall Be Kind is simply one of the finest works in Animal Collective’s discography.

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Download: Animal Collective – What Would I Want? Sky
Buy: Available directly from Domino Records as CD, LP, or MP3s.

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Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):

Beirut/Realpeople – March of the Zapotec/Holland

After indulging in his self-professed Francophile tendencies on 2007′s The Flying Club Cup, Zach Condon returned last year to further explore the music of the world in his characteristic, Balkan-obsessed style. His latest work as Beirut, March of the Zapotec, delves into the sounds of Mexico with help from Banda Jimenez of Teotitlan del Valle, a nineteen-piece funeral band whose surging, breakneck horn section exudes an authentic, gypsy-like command of their instruments. Also included with this EP is a second disc of songs recorded under an early moniker, Realpeople. Holland marks a divergence from Condon’s current grandiose compositions and a return to his roots of bedroom electro-pop, demonstrating that his pure pop sensibilities and warm croons are still moving in dramatically different contexts. [Original Post]

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Download: Beirut – La Llorona

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Download: Realpeople – Venice
Buy: You can order March of the Zapotec/Holland from Ba Da Bing Records as CD or LP.

Bullion – Young Heartache

In his pursuit of heavy, honeyed, wonky hip-hop, London producer Bullion works those kind of chopped-up, psych-soul samples that one may more immediately associate with the late, great J Dilla (aka Jay Dee). Of course, considering Bullion jumped on the scene with the Dilla-themed Beach Boy’s remix album Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee, he himself would have no issue with such a comparison. Young Heartache is very much in the same vein of his debut with its beat-heavy reworked fragments of vintage 60s pop, even sampling Carl Wilson’s white-boy soul gem “Long Promised Road” from Surf’s Up. Though this time around, Bullion’s efforts look less to others and are more song-oriented, stretching out his hazy, syncopated loops into their own succinct space. Thus far, I’d say he’s turning out to be a worthy Dilla disciple.

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Download: Bullion – Time for Us All to Love
Buy: Download Young Heartache from Bleep or Rhapsody.

Drake – So Far Gone

It seems that Canadian “it” boy Drake has come about as far as you can come without releasing a full-length record. By building hype through a Myspace page, mixtapes with increasingly impressive feature spots, and later a number one, ultimately Grammy-nominated single (“Best I Ever Had”) that dropped without the support of any major label, this relatively unknown actor-turned-rapper found his name on the lips of nearly all the big decision-makers in the music industry. After a serious bidding war, Drake eventually settled on Lil’ Wayne‘s Young Money Records (with Universal set to handle distribution) and landed an utterly mind-blowing deal, especially in these times — a $2 million advance, a 75-25 split on sales, and complete publishing rights and masters ownership. His first proper release, So Far Gone, distills his mixtape of the same name that was released earlier in 2009 down to five polished, remastered bangers and adds a couple of new tracks. Drake just does what he does; whether singing or rapping or something in between, he deftly walks the line between boastful arrogance and heartfelt introspection like frequent collaborator Kanye West and effortlessly twists wordplay like mentor Lil’ Wayne. Will his debut full-length, due in March of this year, live up to the insane level of hype that’s been swirling around him? This EP may not definitively answer that question, but it’s definitely promising.

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Download: Drake – Fear
Buy: Pick up So Far Gone from Insound or head over to Rhapsody for the MP3s.

No Age – Losing Feeling

Losing Feeling was billed as a shift for Los Angeles lo-fi rockers No Age, as duo Randy Randall and Dean Spunt would join a whole mess of their peers in integrating sample-driven arrangements into their stripped-down, guitar-and-drum outfit. Turns out that their use of the MPC or SP or what-have-you was subtle, to say the least. To me, this just sounds like another solid release from these noisy dream-punks, but then again, they were always on the spacey side of things. Here catchy melodies and driving rhythms float in and out of distorted waves of feedback and fuzz, the hypnotic loops largely lurking in the folds when the songs really get going. Perhaps No Age are saving the big leap forward for their next LP? If they aren’t, Losing Feeling is clue enough that even without a change of scenery, they’re still making good music.

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Download: No Age – You’re a Target
Buy: Grab Losing Feeling from Sub Pop Records on vinyl or as MP3s.

Sleigh Bells – 2HELLWU CD-R

Sleigh Bells features an unlikely pairing — Derek Miller, previously of bro’ed out hardcore band Poison the Well and Alexis Krauss, a former member of a straight-up manufactured teen girl pop group called RubyBlue — but after listening to these abrasive, yet sunny and often dance-ready pop assaults, it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched. That’s not to say their sound is grounded explicitly in their pasts, but the spirit of each is felt in Sleigh Bell’s decidedly contemporary blitzes of guitar noise and vocals laced with sugary pop or cool hipster swagger. Think Enon meets Swizz Beatz meets Times New Viking, their party-jams pushed beyond their stylistic and sonic limits and into the red.

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Download: Sleigh Bells – Crown on the Ground
Buy: This EP was a tour only release (I’m sure you could find it somewhere…), but look for their official debut to drop later this year.

Well here we go again. After finishing up my contributions to Treble‘s year-end and decade lists, it’s time for me to officially close out 2009 over here. Perhaps a bit late according to internet logic, but all of the upcoming music remains very deserving of your attention. Here are a few more records that were inexplicably overlooked on Chickens Don’t Clap!, lost in the overwhelming flood of new music that circulated through my brain this past year.

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Dâm-Funk – Toeachizown

Los Angeles producer, DJ, and “Ambassador of Boogie Funk” Dâm-Funk is here to revive and reinvent the seemingly forgotten funk legacy of bizarro conceptualism. His expansive debut Toeachizown — released first as a staggered set of digital EPs over the course of 2009, then as a double-disc CD — hints at the sexy, cool artistry of Prince and the left-field psychedelia of Parliament-Funkadelic, but is itself grounded in Dâm-Funk’s own unique, contemporary vision. Constructed with vintage equipment and production aesthetics, this distinctly lo-fi endeavor cuts the fat of over-production from its hypnotic batch of mostly instrumental West Coast hydraulic-bounce. Though that’s not to say Dâm-Funk is hesitant to drop a soulful (and often vocoded) croon now and then to equally captivating effect. In this run through spacey low-rider bangers and smooth R&B jams, he just happens to place a lot of faith in extended passages of unadulterated funk. Listen to the record and you will too.

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Download: Dâm-Funk – Mirrors

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Download: Dâm-Funk – Hood Pass Intact
Buy: Toeachizown is available as a double-disc CD, 5LP set, or five digital EPs from Stones Throw Records.

Real Estate – Real Estate

Yep, lo-fi was still goin’ strong in 2009. It’s not too shocking that it’s become a go-to aesthetic for so many new artists — the appropriate recording equipment is nearly immediately accessible to anyone with a computer and it requires minimal instrumental or songwriting talent. But it’s easy enough to draw distinctions between these bands. Taking the high road, New Jersey’s Real Estate doesn’t mask its music in peak-heavy production or feel like a bandwagon hanger-on knock-off, instead opting to organically meld their subdued, surf-tinged psychedelics with subtle atmospheres and textures. Their modestly hyped debut full-length (at least as far as the lo-fi scene is concerned) comes after a series of well-received 7-inches, EPs, and compilations, featuring mostly newly recorded versions of their older songs. Here they come together quite nicely in what is an excellent, chill-out album for warm weather, stoney summer days, pool parties, and the like.

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Download: Real Estate – Beach Comber
Buy: Get Real Estate from Woodsist Records on CD or LP.

Taken By Trees – East of Eden

Most would probably recognize Victoria Bergsman’s voice from her guest spot on the undeniably catchy (and pop-culturally visible) gem “Young Folks”, but since leaving The Concretes in 2006 she’s also been putting out her own impressive solo material as Taken By Trees. On her most recent album, East of Eden, Bergsman took dramatic steps in order to satisfy a self-professed need to push into new territory. Moving away from the pleasant and familiar kind of indie pop that characterized her past works, she and musical partner Andreas Soderstrom decided to relocate to Pakistan and record the album with all Pakistani musicians (apart from that glorious Noah Lennox backup vocal), imbuing her beautiful, bittersweet compositions with a seductive air of mystery and exoticism. Much of the emotionally rich East of Eden was laid down outdoors, leaving its swirl of percussion, subtle electronics, plucked strings, and woodwinds to exist within a breathtaking breadth of space.

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Download: Taken By Trees – Anna
Buy: You can order East of Eden from Insound as an LP or CD.

The-Dream – Love vs. Money

When Terius Nash (aka The-Dream) isn’t writing bona fide smash-hit pop anthems, he’s busy crafting his own impeccably produced albums of glossy, synth-driven R&B. Since 2007, this master of wordless hooks (“Ella, ella, ella”) and thug-shout studio punch-ins (“EEYYYYY!”) has made two of the most consistent and irresistible pop records this side of Justin Timberlake with another (and supposedly final) full-length due in 2010. His latest, the stellar Love vs. Money, is soaked in Patrón-fueled infidelities, shimmery sugar daddy love stories, mournful heartbreak, boastful sex jams, and more boastful sex jams. Of course, The-Dream’s infectious melodies and insane production is what really propels this album, its glitzy layers of sound building and collapsing in seamless brilliance. Those quick to judge might write it off as style-over-substance, but give Love vs. Money a few spins and its dense, flawless construction is sure to obscure any misguided objections one might have over its shallow and hedonistic materialism.

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Download: The-Dream – Rockin’ That Shit
Buy: Pick up Love vs. Money on CD from Amazon or as MP3s over at Rhapsody.

Tyondai Braxton – Central Market

Central Market is a different beast than pretty much anything else I’ve heard this year. Branching out from previous loop-based orchestral solo endeavors, Tyondai Braxton (with support from The Wordless Music Orchestra) delves into far more ambitious and grandiose compositions on this most recent record. A whirlwind of percussion, guitar, electronics, strings, woodwinds, horns, kazoo, and whistles, Central Market unfolds with equal parts patience and Looney Toon-mania, recalling the works of some of the greatest twentieth century composers — Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Reich, Eno — as well as more contemporary avant-noisemakers like Black Dice and, of course, Braxton’s own band Battles. Incredibly full of varying tones, textures, and sounds, this is easily one of the more challenging and rewarding listens of 2009, yet also one of the most playful and fun.

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Download: Tyondai Braxton – Platinum Rows
Buy: Central Market is available over at Bleep as MP3s, WAVs, CD, or LP.

Over the course of a year I end up listening to a lot of music. Some might say too much. And maybe they’ve got a point, since I invariably fail to mention a handful of records that made regular appearances in my listening rotation, for one reason or another. So, as I start to reflect on 2009, it’s only fair that these noteworthy albums get their due before my regularly scheduled features begin to trickle out. A number received far too little coverage most everywhere, so you may have allowed them to slip under your radar as well. Enjoy rectifying that along with me.

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Nero’s Day at Disneyland – From Rotting Fantasylands

The chaotic blitz of Nero’s Day at Disneyland‘s breakcore wizardry is truly something to behold. A dizzying meld of haunting classical samples, warped and misshapen vocals, doomed waltz cadences, dread-inducing synth arpeggios, thunderous, rapid-fire percussive assaults, and a pure, piercing electronic fury, the cyberpunk mania of From Rotting Fantasylands is unrelenting and anarchic, often executed in extreme BPM. Yet, once you’ve stopped reeling from the sheer ferocity of it all, it’s clear that the solo work of Brock Bousfield is also constructed with meticulous fervor. And those rich, labyrinthine layers of delightfully miasmic sounds grab hold and never let go for the album’s duration. Featuring the work of Norwegian artist Andreas Barlseth, the art for From Rotting Fantasylands aptly mirrors the frenzy and delirium of Bousfield’s compositions, so be sure to pick up a copy… it’s doubtful you’ve heard anything quite like it this year (or ever).

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Download: Nero’s Day at Disneyland – Civilizing People

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Download: Nero’s Day at Disneyland – Death Parade (Feat. Kevin Shields)

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Download: Nero’s Day at Disneyland – Probably End Up Dead in a Ditch Somewhere
Buy: Stream the whole album (as a single mp3) over at SoundCloud. You can pick this up from iTunes or Amazon as MP3s, the CD is only available at live shows and Cargo Records at the moment.

jj – jj n° 2

There’s very little tangible information about Swedish (?) group jj available out there on the internet. No website, no blog, no MySpace or Facebook page, no twitter — rarities even for artists keeping their identities a secret — and record label Sincerely Yours surely isn’t letting on to who they might be or where they’re from. Without much to go on, one can speculate away or simply revel in the mystery while absorbing the summery pop gems that jj dropped in 2009. A brief, tropical swirl of balearic and folk tinged pop, debut record jj n° 2 fits in perfectly as the chilled-out flipside to the breezy electronica of labelmates The Tough Alliance and Air France. Released on July 1st, it follows both A New Chance and No Way Down as Sincerely Yours’ latest stake on continued dominance of the “summer jam”. And with tracks as irresistible as the sunny and uplifting “From Africa to Málaga”, the drugged-out and euphoric “Lollipop”-remake “Ecstasy”, and the buoyant “Masterplan”, jj n° 2 may be the most convincing one yet.

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Download: jj – From Africa to Málaga

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Download: jj – Ecstasy
Buy: Stream jj n° 2 and then order it directly from Sincerely Yours as 320kbps MP3s.

Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light

It seems to be an increasingly remarkable occurrence, in our current era, when an artist is able to construct an identity that stands in stark contrast to those of his or her contemporaries. New York singer, composer, theatrical and visual artist Antony Hegarty should certainly be counted as one of a shrinking number of such artists. His latest album, The Crying Light, is another devastating work, every piece crafted with staggering grace and care. In this mournful exploration of birth, life, death, nature, identity and the complex interplay between these forces, Antony and his chamber orchestra instill his arrangements with overwhelming emotion, relying on sparse instrumentation that yields implausibly rich textures and soundscapes. Beyond compositional strength, the emotional depth of The Crying Light is bolstered by Antony’s otherworldly vocal performance. At once capable of controlled, trembling warbles, pained croons, and magnificent, chill-inducing caterwauls, his distinctive voice perfects the expressive realization of this record – what other way is there to convey the crushing tragedy of a song like “Another World”? “I need another world, this one’s nearly gone / Still have too many dreams, never seen the light / I need another world, a place where I can go” could never sound more sad or beautiful. [Originally published at Treble]

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Download: Antony and the Johnsons – Epilepsy Is Dancing

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Download: Antony and the Johnsons – Another World
Buy: Pick up The Crying Light directly from the Antony and the Johnsons webstore.

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II

Album sequels can be a tricky business, particularly when an artist sets up an upcoming record as a sequel to a work held to be the best in their discography, let alone one of the greatest hip-hop records ever made. Results have included some modern classics like Tha Carter III and unexpected comebacks like Stillmatic, but there’s been plenty more disappointments (I’m looking at you Blueprint 2 and 3) along the way. Even against these odds, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II finds Raekwon comfortably reprising his role as ice-cold kingpin and cinematic storyteller, crafting an opus worthy of sharing the name of the original classic. These bleak tales thoroughly detail intersecting lives caught up in inner city drug trade and its associated fallouts with the same grit and vivid hood slang poetry that permeates the greatest Wu-Tang records. Dark, intense, disturbing, eloquent, and inimitable, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II is easily one of the best hip-hop albums of the last few years.

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Download: Raekwon – House of Flying Daggers (Feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface & Method Man)

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Download: Raekwon – Catalina (Feat. Lyfe Jennings)
Buy: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II is available from Amazon, Insound, or Rhapsody.

Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue

Since 2004, Stephen Wilkinson has been exploring the ethereal outer reaches of lo-fi electro-acoustic loops as Bibio, but in light of the excellent Ambivalence Avenue, it seems as if all previous works have been pushing toward this moment. Never before has Wilkinson explored such complete songwriting as he does on his debut for Warp Records. Relying less on repetitive loops and spacey ambience, here he effortlessly fuses these elements into a superior, pop-driven, and more vocal-centered context. Still full of lush atmospherics, the resulting blend traverses driving psych-pop, funked-out minimalism, Dilla-esque breakbeats, glitchy electronica, and breezy folk musings, all the while maintaining its own distinct identity. By applying a wider scope and a bit more focus, Bibio went ahead and made the best album of his career without really sacrificing what made his music interesting in the first place. [Originally published at Treble]

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Download: Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue

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Download: Bibio – Fire Ant
Buy: You can stream Ambivalence Avenue and buy it as CD, MP3s, or WAVs over at Bleep.