Thursday, January 24, 2008

The funniest thing ever...

Be warned. I came across this in class today and spent ten agonizing minutes trying to control my laughter. No lie. My face turned red and I head to put my head down and I was making squeaky noises. And so was the guy sitting next to me. This is extremely funny.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Happy MLK Day!

"They said to one another, "Behold. Here cometh the dreamer. Let us slay him and we shall see what will become of his dreams."

Genesis 37:19,20



Honest engine...I planned on throwing a Martin Luther King Day party this year. Unfortunately that would have required more money and time (mostly money) than I had so I aborted that plan and read books. Also...it turned out I worked a couple hours so...you know.

But the idea for a party came into my head when I was watching Talk To Me, the movie where an on-fire Don Cheadle plays legendary DJ Petey Greene. Somehow this film came and went with very little fanfare which I don't understand but that's another story. ANYWAY...there is a portion of the film about King's assassination and a couple thinks struck me about it. The first was how incredibly moved everyone was. Now I realize that this was a movie and everyone shows more emotion in movies than they do in real life, but I'd never considered the idea of so many people being moved to tears. I can't remember the death of any public individual in my lifetime that had this type of an effect on people (aside from maybe Princess Di...but that's England.)

The second thing I REALLY liked. The night after MLK was assassinated James Brown came to Washington on a whim and through a free concert. And the crowd came and they took all their bottled up sadness, confusion, and rage and they threw a motherfuckin' party! And that made me say...YES! Here, in the face of absolute evil, the cold-blooded killing of a man who dedicated his life to peace and love and the furthering of human society, they said laughed, drank, danced, and said "Fuck You" to an evil world. Party till the system dies!

So anyway...I mentioned the books. One of them is I May Not Get There With You by Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson is one of my favorite writers and in this book he attempts to rescue King's image from a society that tries to bottle him up into one short speech. The other is King's autobiography. I have enjoyed both so far. Unfortunately I am not far enough along in either one to comment a whole lot more than that but be on the lookout for more from me.

Anyway...back to class in the morning. Have a nice night everyone...

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Video: Polyphonic Spree, "We Crawl"

This year I am making an effort to keep much more up-to-date on music videos. So far my favorite one is probably this one for The Polyphonic Spree's "We Crawl." The director gave each (yes, each) band member a video camera and let them have it, videotaping whatever they do on a normal day. The result is an amazingly personal look into the day-to-day lives of the usually very anonymous group members.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Shut up Myspace!

I like it here a lot more than Myspace. I kept my Myspace account because I find it to be a valuable resource in terms of keeping in touch with people. It seems to be the best way to reach a lot of people because people tend to check their accounts A LOT. And I love that Myspace allows me to listen to tracks from practically any band I would want to listen to.

You know what I hate about Myspace? Bulletins. It's possible that occasionally somebody posts a bulletin with some kind of valuable information. Unfortunately, it most likely slid through the cracks between the endless clutter of surveys. If you are unaware of how these surveys work here is a brief explanation:

People post a bulletin with a headline something like "YO CHECK OUT NOTHER ONE!" or "LOLZ I'M SUCH A LOOSER HAHAHA!" or "IF YOU LIKE ME POST THIS OR YOUR CRUSH WON'T LIKE YOU ANYMORE!". Then when you open the bulletin you find a list of questions and answers about the person who posted it, kind of like:

1) What is your sexual orientation?
I'm a fagit...hahahahha LOLZ I'm straight of course!

2) Who is your crush? LOLZ...hahaha...not telling.

And so on and so forth...

Now I can understand getting really bored and filling these out once in a while. What gets me is that people do them OVER and OVER and OVER. And every time it has to be in bulletin form so that every one of their friends knows that they filled out another survey. Why?

On the most recent episode of Family Guy, Stewie made a comment that was somewhat disparaging of Myspace, but probably more so of the Myspace generation. I don't remember exactly what it was but it was something along the lines of "I even have a Myspace so everyone can see my favorite movies and songs and other things created by other people that show my originality." And I think that's just what it all boils down to. Myspace doesn't exist for communication or music listening or any of that. It's there to offer people, in this age of conformity and anonymity, an opportunity to show off their identity to the entire cyber world (or at least the people who are willing to read their surveys three times a day...I'm assuming these people are out there because the surveys continue.)

And I guess all of this is okay. I mean...this is coming from someone who takes great pride in letting people know what I've been listening to and reading so I don't suppose I can really sit in judgment of people who want to flaunt information about themselves. It's just...

...do you have to do it so much?

Okay...now that I've offended everyone (who am I kidding? Nobody is reading this. Which brings up another interesting point: I've been bitching and complaining about people filling out senseless surveys when I invest all this time in preparing a blog that nobody reads. Hmmm...this may have to wait till another day) how about something positive about Myspace...The Myspace Music Tour is coming to your town! (Well...it's coming to my town at least.) This show is going to be off the proverbial hook. March 20 at the Riviera, Justice, Diplo, and someone called Fancy will be playing. Well worth the...ugggh...38 dollars.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Broke Broke Broke Phi Broke

So here's what's going on with me...

I have $16.72 in my checking account. And the cash flow is coming slowly. So for the most part I'm going to be spending as little money as possible for the next month or so. Th upside is that this plan gives me a lot of time to do other things: get ahead in my schoolwork, watch two football games on a Saturday night, and get this blog off the ground for starters. But for the most part I'm just going to have to grin and bear it and save my money up for a kickin' Rock Star Month.

I do have plans for one big night out in January. That's the January 26 Girl Talk/Dan Deacon show at the Metro. I'll be at the 11:30 show and it should be a straight up party. Anyone who got a ticket...I'll see you there. If you didn't...well there's always next time.

WE AIN'T GOT IT!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Rhymefest vs. Lupe Fiasco

The primaries are heating up and recently Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest engaged in an online debate on the Democratic race. Lupe started the feud in an interview with SOHH.com where he sorta-endorsed Hillary Clinton and made a sorta-disparaging (and not quite true) remark about Obama. Rhymefest shot back via Myspace and then the argument spilled over onto the OkayPlayer message board.

What struck me as notable here is that neither of these artists defended their candidate based firmly on the issues. Each had philosophical reasons to support their candidate that had more to do with that candidate's demeanor and cultural significance than they did with the candidate's politics. Some will argue that this is an example of the ignorance of the American voter. Others may defend these as legitimate ways to look at an election. But I don't think it is much of a stretch to say that the group of people voting for a candidate based on a thorough investigation of his or her political views and history is a SIZABLE minority and the following comments demonstrate the significance that elected officials have outside of their particular politics.

Finally, the race card. The other day I attended a panel discussion on racism and classism in public schools. One of the panelists was Alex Kotlowitz, author of the brilliant There Are No Children Here. I felt that the most interesting thing he said that evening was that "African-Americans see the results of racism every day while most whites don't even believe it exists anymore." I think he was dead on in that statement and I think it has significance here. It seems that many whites are quick to criticize anyone who would vote for Obama just because he is black (or Clinton just because she is a woman for that matter) but African-Americans have many reasons to feel differently and those reasons are touched on in the following comments.

I would not endorse voting for a candidate based on their skin color or gender alone but I can understand some of the reasons others would. On a basic level a Black president would be a symbol of how far the race has risen in a short time in the face of a historically racist system. On a more personal level it gives millions of inner-city youth a positive role model to aspire to. How many children in the projects of Chicago grew up thinking the common phrase "you can grow up to do whatever you want" was a lie? A Black president sends a very powerful message of positivity into the inner city: YES I CAN.

Warning: This is long.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In an interview with SOHH.com before the Iowa caucus, Lupe explained his political position by saying, "I'm not voting for anybody. I don't believe in voting on that level. But I want Hillary to win. Obama doesn't really impress me like that. It's not a shot at him but some of his agendas, the bombing of Iran and all that stuff.* He ain't gonna do nothing but perpetuate the nonsense that all the Presidents before have done, and what Bush is doing now."

SOHH.com modified his statement with the following footnote:

"[*Editors note: While all the major Democratic candidates--including Clinton, Obama and Edwards--say they would not remove military option off the table, when it comes to Iran, none have said they support the bombing of Iran.]"

Rhymefest's correction. Writing on his MySpace blog on January 5, Rhymefest clarified Obama's stance on Iran while, without calling him out by name, challenging Lupe to do better research on the matter:

"Barack Obama being the only black senator from Illinois automatically gives me a sense of pride and appreciation for his journey. Of course, for America to be flipped on its axis with a qualified woman President would be a significant milestone in this chapter of our country's history. But, I fail to see how a qualified Black man as President wouldn't be just as significant a milestone. Please, to all artists who dare to speak on political issues in this election: understand that Barack Obama won the Iowa caucus by inspiring more young people and women to vote than any previous Presidential candidate. How could it not be impressive to see the new Bobby Kennedy of our day in the White House?

"In the words of Gabriel when he revealed the Holy Qur'an to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the cave: "READ." Please do not let your arrogance be the fuel for your ignorance."


Lupe (in response to whether or not he will respond to Rhymefest's original MySpace post):

"not in public...thats wack...I'll call him tomorrow...

...unless we devise a sinister under the table plot to faux battle each other furiously over the topic via youtube only to bring more attention to our projects then take the ill gotten booty and buy Phantoms with it that we will then proceed to drive in the homemade videos made of the diss records also to be debuted on youtube..."

Rhymefest:

"I'm responding to your post because you don't have my number.

Please fam...don't let some of these people on the boards get the situation twisted for you. I'm not dissing or coming at you on any level. In fact, I love the song "Go Go Gadget Flow" off of your new album, and I encourage everyone to purchase The Cool. Chitown is on the rise! However, Barack Obama also lives in Chicago, and at the very least we have to not put out information that is wrong or can be misconstrued by people on the outside OR the fans that love, listen, and follow what we say.

As a brother, all I'm asking you to do is tell the people that you really don't know what Barack Obama's position is on Iran, or at least not when you did the SOHH interview.

In my original post, I did not mention your name or the actual source of the interview. Just to let you know, my mission is not to down you, but to big up Barack Obama.

If you or anyone else supports any other candidates such as Hillary Clinton, Ron Paul, or whomever---I think that those are all fine candidates; I just find it irresponsible to tell untruths about any of them.

Lupe, please tell the people Barack Obama does NOT support bombing Iran."

Lupe:

"let me first reinforce my stance on national politics and the American System based on a mispractice and abomination of true democracy...

i have no faith in it...never have, never will...a mindset instilled at a very young age by a pro-active, Black Panther party promoting, revolutionary father and a very intellectual damn near anarchist mother with more than enough facts to back it up...

I've been around politics and politicians my whole life...

I say this to let you know first off I'm educated in the process...so much so that I dont agree with it..more importantly I wasnt out to slander Obama...If it was misinformation that I received then I apologize on behalf of the source but like I said I am still going back to recheck the validity of the source...if that is not his stance now then so be it...my opinion of Hillary being in Office over Obama is merely because she is a woman and I believe the act of a woman leading the strongest nation in the world will have unforeseen side effects and may act as a catalyst for change the world over more so than that of a black man...is that a fact? NO...does it even really matter? NO...they both still tow the line and champion the ideals of their respective party...which is flawed in its nature (The Party Line that is)...

I think that if I said all that in response to SOHH it might have been clearer that Lupe Fiasco doesnt even support the system as a whole so what he thinks of the candidates who are running to head it up isnt even relevant...maybe I'm wrong..maybe it will be the start of a renaissance that will change the face of the world and we will be blessed with Social Utopia or maybe my nigga got the blessing of the Iluminatti and is just meant to bring us one step closer to having a chip in our fucking heads...either way I'm good...

Blessings and Godspeed in your struggles for truth...

Salaam...

I'm still callin too!!! hahaha"

Rhymefest:

"First of all...

All praise IS due to God, and I thank God that we're able to have this type of dialogue ESPECIALLY in hip hop. However, I was not born into a political revolutionary family like you. My father was a crackhead alcoholic. My mother was 15 years old when I was born. I was raised around gang members. So personally, when I hear Barack Obama speak about hope and its audacity, that is a message that I can relate to.

Being raised on the Southside of Chicago under the conditions that many of us are subject to, I haven't had the opportunity to become desensitized to the political and social ramifications of a Black president. My brother, it does mean something. I don't believe that Barack Obama is the 'same ol' same'. Did you know that in a recent poll 69% of whites think it's possible for a Black president, while only 47% of Blacks thought it was? This suggests to me that our cynicism and disbelief will surely be the death of us.

I believe in Allah and all of his prophets. However, I believe God also sends messengers in the form of parents, community leaders, and yes---politicians. Barack Obama speaks against lobbyists and their influence on the political system and candidates. Did you know that his campaign was funded not by lobbyists with corporate agendas, but by individuals like you and I? Considering the millions that he has raised, a lot of individuals believe in the audacity of his hope.

Lupe, this can be a great moment for us; even though I know you don't have my number, I will still expect your call, LOL.

It seems to me as if you're not sure if change can or cannot happen. Our recent successes, and Barack's recent success in Iowa, is proof that with faith all things are possible."

LUPE:

"I admire your audacity in the face of your plights. My faith is where its supposed to be...with the Lord...

trust my opinoins are molded not alone by political thought and high discourse around the house...but also by niggaz getting shot in my hallway, hookers turning tricks in the stairways we played in and finding heroin needles while playing football in the front yard...crooked cops and crooked aldermans with a different gang on every block...that would be the westside my friend...it happened to all of us...so i look for beacons of hope as well and where I see it is not in the face of a politician in this day and age...Sadly and Happily I see it where it's always been...in the face of the people!!!...

I pray for change...and change will come...i dont know in what form...is it Obama? maybe...

God gave us the ability to have faith...He also gave us a brain...i like to use mine together sometimes...

Salaam..."

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Inaugural Post: Top 40 Albums of 2007

So this will be my new blog. For 2008 y'all. And what better way to get things started than by posting my top 40 albums of 2007.

More tomorrow...

40) The Go! Team
Proof of Youth
If you liked the first album from this ultra-fun group it's a pretty safe bet that you will enjoy the follow up. It stands to reason that the formula may wear thin at some point, but that hasn't happened yet. Also, Chuck D appears on one track.

39) Aesop Rock
None Shall Pass
This is another solid album by the Def Jux rapper. The most pleasant surprise (though not much of a surprise at this point) is the guest spot from Mountain Goats' John Darnielle on the final track.

38) Interpol
Our Love to Admire
2007 may have been the year when Interpol broke out. Or maybe I just didn't pay enough attention before. Either way, I was shocked to see them headline Lollapalooza; almost as shocked as I was to find I enjoyed them in this setting. Our Love to Admire may not be the band's most notable work but the move to a major label certainly contributed to an album full of lushly layered songs complete with the soaring choruses the band has become famous for. Also, I learned firsthand this year that Interpol is not nearly as dull a live act as they are made out to be.

37) T.I.
T.I. vs. T.I.P.
2007 could be called the "Year of the Hip Hop Concept Album." Of course, it won't be because most of these aren't really concept albums. T.I. vs. T.I.P. was an interesting idea. T.I. separates his dual personalities in a three-part album; the final sequence is a collaboration between...ummm...the two of him. I tend to think T.I.'s split personalities were more interesting when they were subtle. But that doesn't take away from the album, which has a few really catchy, radio-friendly hits.

36) Bjork
Volta
Bjork continues to make artistic leaps on this album. The singles "Earth Intruders" and "Declare Independence" are highlights, as is her duet with Antony on "The Dull Flame of Desire."

35) Liars
Liars
This one is more accessible than their last album as Liars, known for redefining themselves with each release, add a rock edge to their typical experimental style.

34) Spoon
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
There is something to be said for a band that effortlessly writes such catchy and well-constructed pop songs. Consistency seems to be the name of the game with Spoon as this album is pretty interchangeable with the previous three. But to keep releasing such great songs is fairly impressive. And the albums highlights, "Cherry Bomb" and "Underdog", and, in my opinion, among the best the band has ever written.

33) The Shins
Wincing the Night Away
Mercer has claimed that the two biggest influences on his band are Pink Floyd and marijuana. But ultimately, as much as they may strive to be this generation's Pink Floyd, the Shins best songs are more reminiscent of the jangly pop of the Byrds. Delightfully catchy tunes such as "Australia" and "Turn on Me" (which has an opening that calls to mind the Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man") are proof of this. But that's just fine. There is plenty of room in the world for songs like these.

32) Besnard Lakes
The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
This is yet another great Canadian band. The opening vocals on album opener "Disaster" call to mind Brian Wilson and, at many times throughout, Dark Horse does sound a bit like how the Beach Boys would sound if they were backed by a kick ass band

31) Animal Collective
Strawberry Jam
I still haven't quite bought into all the hype surrounding this band but after several listens Strawberry Jam grew on me, particularly album opener "Peace Bone."

30) Bright Eyes
Cassadaga
Conor Oberst seems a lot less mopey these days. This could be due to the fuller sound that has come from his immersion in alt-country. The lyrics may still be sad, but the added instrumentation assures that you don't have to focus on the words quite as hard. Here he assembles a plethora of musicians including M. Ward, Rachael Yamagata, Mike Mogis, and a slew of Saddle Creek artists to deliver an album that remains solid from start to finish and is far more listenable than older material. Coincidentally, it charted higher than any of Oberst's previous work.

29) Pharoahe Monch
Desire
The rapper returned after an 8-year absence to release his long-awaited second solo album. With production by The Alchemist, J Dilla protege Black Milk, and others, it was worth the wait.

28) Feist
The Reminder
For some reason I never really got into Let It Die and I was hesitant to buy another Feist album. But when I finally broke down and bought it and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. These are excellently written songs sung in a voice that, in the words of Pitchfork, "could make Dick Cheney cry." And of course there is "1 2 3 4." iPod commercials have come along way from the days of Jet. (Incidentally....what the hell ever happened to Jet?)

27) Battles
Mirrored
Ummm....it's probably my favorite instrumental album of the year. That's all I have to say about that.

26) Ghostface Killah
Big Doe Rehab
Ghost adds to what is by far the most relevant Wu-Tang solo career. This one isn't his best work but it's still better than anything any of the others have done this decade (RZA's production aside.) The scary part is that he doesn't even sound like he has to try to be this good. If only he could become a little less reliant on all the lesser guest M.C.'s. Also, props on one of the best album covers of the year.

25) Of Montreal
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
I had a hard time deciding whether this album is really good or really corny. As it turns out…I'm pretty sure it is both. But it's a really smart kind of corny. And much of the album, despite the deep themes, is good syrupy fun. And of course there is "The Past is a Grotesque Animal", a 12-minute epic of nearly silly proportions.

24) Jens Lekman
Night Falls Over Kortedala
The other day I was listening to "A Postcard to Nina" and I had an epiphany: if I am ever faced with a situation where I am coaxed into flying to Berlin to pose as fiance for a closet lesbian's conservative father, well, it would probably be about EXACTLY the way the song describes it.

23) Wu-Tang Clan
8 Diagrams
The worst part of the Wu-Tang infighting is that this is their best album since Wu-Tang Forever. RZA's production has pushed the group into new creative territory and everyone seems to be up to form, particularly Method Man. Even Raekwon and Ghostface, the catalysts of anti-RZA talk, sound great.

22) The New Pornographers
Challengers
Challengers may lack the upbeat bliss of previous albums and it is probably my least favorite. But the New Pornographers on a bad day are still better than most bands on a good one. They just have a gift for a melody and songs like "Myriad Harbour" and "Unguided" continue that tradition.

21) Menomena
Friend and Foe
This was one of the first albums I got into in 2007. Menomena makes experimental music with a rock edge. Check out "Muscle'n Flo" and "The Pelican."

20) Brother Ali
The Undisputed Truth
This was probably the most introspective rap album of the year. Ali, an albino rapper from Minnesota, reflects on his life story, which is really quite dramatic. At his best he can be very moving, such as on "Faheem", a tribute to his son, and "Ear to Ear", where he claims to be happy for the first time in his life.

19) Lupe Fiasco
The Cool
When Lupe releases his third and final album, L.U.P.End, I hope he has the good sense to not release it in late December. How does he expect me to make a quality judgment on an album in a matter of days? Especially on an album this lyrically dense. Lupe continues to be every bit the wordsmith he was on his debut album, only the content has taken a very dark turn. My fingers are crossed for a happy ending.

18) The National
Boxer
Boxer picks up where Alligator left off. The National is a band that continues to grow on me with each and every listen. Highlights on this album include "Mistaken for Strangers" and "Slow Show." With guest spots from Sufjan Stevens, a spectacular drummer, and very positive press, the National could be poised for a major breakthrough.

17) UGK
Underground Kingz
Can the death of an artist make his or her album better? Objectively speaking, of course not. But music is not objective...at least not pop music. Technical skill is not nearly as important as emotion and cultural relevance (this is why Weezer is a better band than Rush.) And with Pimp C's passing, UGK's fantastic double LP gains points on both counts. Last month Underground Kingz would have been considered another in a long line of good albums from the Houston rap duo. Now it will go down in history as Pimp C's final masterpiece. His window after being released from jail was just long enough for him to let us know that "Trill Niggaz Don't Die."

16) Iron and Wine
The Shepherd's Dog
Iron and Wine's sound has been expanding little by little over the years. Early on they were not much more than Sam Beam and a guitar. The new album builds on the extra instrumentation of the Woman King EP. Through it all, Beam continues to be an excellent singer-songwriter, with insightful lyrics and a soothing voice.

15) El-P
I'll Sleep When You're Dead
I'll admit that it took me a while to get into this album. And when I say it took me a while I mean, like, till today. I was listening to it with headphones as I walked in downtown Chicago and all of a sudden I started to realize how good the production really is. In my mind, El-P's rapping still leaves a bit to be desired - he's talented but I get bored with his style quickly - but the beats are downright stellar. The production makes it sound like a cold album, which may explain why it took a walk on a cold day for me to really get it.

14) Dan Deacon
Spiderman of the Rings
Tip: Dan Deacon is opening for Girl Talk at the Metro in three weeks…go to this show. Spiderman of the Rings, aside from runaway choice for best album name of the year, is a chaotic party of samples and noises molded into a brilliant whole. I just bought it in the last month…otherwise it probably could have been ranked a lot higher.

13) !!!
Myth Takes
I buried this album for a long time. It had the misfortune of being released the same day as Neon Bible. I also skipped !!! at Lollapalooza since they had the misfortune of playing at the same time as Modest Mouse. So I guess this could be classified as the year when I didn't give the dance punk group all the credit they deserve. And they do deserve quite a bit. This album rocks all the way through, particularly on "Must Be The Moon" and "Heart of Hearts". At their best !!! is as good as anyone in the genre.

12) The White Stripes
Icky Thump
Jack and Meg keep plugging away. After a bit of a detour on the much folksier Get Behind Me Satan, the duo turns up the volume on this collection of thumpers. In addition to Jack's usual shredding, they show their playful side on "Rag and Bone", experiment with bagpipes, and employ local mariachi musicians on a rollicking remake of the Patti Page hit "Conquest." And of course...Jack White shreds on guitar.

11) Justice
Cross
Okay...I'm going to quit trying to find that symbol on my keyboard now. I find all the vague religious references associated with this album to be nothing short of brilliant. Song titles such as "Waters of Nazareth" and "Genesis" are sure to market themselves well to Christian teenagers who just want to dance, all the while riling up all the right villains. What makes it all the better is that those songs, and the rest of them, are really, really awesome. Daft Punk owned the nighttime at Lollapalooza '07. It's only a matter of time before this electronic duo is doing likewise at festivals and arenas around the world.

10) Okkervil River
The Stage Names
So I'm willing to admit I probably overrated Black Sheep Boy when I ranked it my number one album of 2005. Now I feel like I may be overcompensating by placing The Stage Names this low in 2007. The fact remains that Will Sheff is an excellent songwriter whose tortured delivery can be extremely moving, or discomforting depending on the moment.

9) Radiohead
In Rainbows
This probably will never be remembered on the same level as musical masterpieces like Okay Computer or Kid A, but it will remembered nonetheless, if only for the groundbreaking release method. Radiohead has moved from simply revolutionizing music to revolutionizing the whole way in which we consume it. And the music itself is still very good. Highlights include "Videotape" and "All I Need."


8) Modest Mouse
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Modest Mouse fans tend to have differing opinions on their favorite albums. I personally felt that Good News, despite a few very good songs, was the first hiccup of the band's brilliant career (of course...it was a hiccup that put them on MTV so...more power to them.) I didn't have terribly high expectations for this album, but I think they rebounded in fine form. "Dashboard" is a readymade radio hit and is as catchy as anything they have ever written. Shins frontman James Mercer stops by to lend vocals on "Florida" and "Missed the Boat." But the album's highlight may be "Spitting Venom", proof that they still have the knack for the 8+ minute epics that set them apart from the rest of the indie world.

7) Patrick Wolf
The Magic Position
I just got into this album a few weeks ago. And as is usually the case in this situation, it is possible that I have misjudged it. But I really like it and for whatever reason I didn't think I would. Maybe it was just the lame album cover that scared me away. Anyway...the upbeat songs are really happy and fun to sing along to. The slow ones are beautiful. All in all it is an album that makes me happy to be alive and that is about all I ask out of music.

6) Stars
In Our Bedroom After the War
In my opinion this band improves with every album. Lead singer Torquil Campbell claims that one of the goals of the group is to release albums that are meant to be listened to as a whole, not just a collection of songs. They certainly succeeded in doing that with this one. An instrumental intro kicks into the slowly building "The Night Starts Here" and Stars never look back.

5) Jay-Z
American Gangster
It took a blockbuster film to inspire Jay to put out the masterpiece he failed to create with Kingdom Come. This is one of the greatest rapper's of all-time at the height of his talent. He sounds angry and driven on "Blue Magic", joyful on "Roc Boys", and heartfelt on "Pray." And I could be wrong but "Ignorant Shit" seems to have the most intelligent hook of the year (and that's to say nothing of "No Hook.")

4) LCD Soundsystem
Sound of Silver
Their self-titled debut was a nice collection of great songs. With his second release James Murphy proves his ability to craft a complete album. Sound of Silver kicks off with a bang with the gloriously danceable "Get Innocuous" and progresses to the dramatic climax of "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down." But what puts Sound of Silver over the top is the album's centerpiece of "Someone Great" and "All My Friends", proof that Murphy has a talent for introspective song writing, in addition to his ability to lay down a fun song.

3) Kanye West
Graduation
Kanye continues to prove that you don't need to be the best MC in the world to put out some of the best hip-hop records of the decade. Like earlier releases, Graduation's strengths are found in its lyrical themes and innovative production. Kanye's beats sample everyone from Elton John to Michael Jackson....and of course Daft Punk. West also continues to bridge the many sub-genres of hip-hop. While guests are not as frequent as on his earlier albums, the two notable are Mos Def and Lil Wayne, two rappers not often mentioned in the same sentence. And Kanye's lyrical content is as intriguing as ever as he focuses on relevant issues, both personal and societal, in a much more open manner than most mainstream rappers would dare.

2) The Arcade Fire
Neon Bible
I fully expect the Arcade Fire to go down in history as one of the pioneers of this new internet-defined era. They have risen to the top without the benefit of excessive radio or MTV exposure. Their second album is another collection of emotionally charged songs that rivals their brilliant debut. While Funeral was more of an introspective work crafted in the wake of personal tragedy, Neon Bible's focus is on the state of our modern society and our reactions to perpetual war. Songs such as "Keep the Car Running" and "Intervention" are dripping with emotion and the reworked "No Cars Go" is an anthem of epic proportion.

1) M.I.A.
Kala
M.I.A. is the embodiment of partying down the system. If life hands you lemons, make lemonade….then spike the lemonade with vodka and throw an all out dance party. Her life story - whether the details are true or not - provides the mystique that takes her art to another level. Maya specializes in political music that is not dependent on lyrics alone. Much of M.I.A.'s success must be attributed to her producers, Switch and Diplo, who push the creative envelope further and further. Their masterful placement of gunshots, cash registers, and other sound effects adds to the revolutionary nature of the record. M.I.A.'s beats and lyrics pay homage to many of her diverse influences, including Modern Lovers, the Pixies, and the Clash. With two of the best albums of the decade under her belt it is almost scary to think of where she can go from here.