...which was obviously, and quite objectively, the best year in recorded music. Anyway, since I can't back that statement up in any way-shape-form, and while I'm waiting for Mr. Mike to officially take back his claims about the new Grizzly Bear, I'll distract our millions of loyal readers with a sampling of music that is currently awesome (to me):
"Daily Routine (Phaseone remix)" - Animal Collective
'Daily Routine' is one of my favorites from Merriweather Post Pavillion, but is this better than the original?? Definitely close--not a huge departure from the original except with slight nuances: prominent hand claps, the 'yeah...yeah' sample in between verses 1 & 2, and a different bass line. It's more hip-hoppy, if you will--and I mean that in the most hardcore way possible. I like how Phaseone takes the percussion all the way through the outro like a good, structured pop song should (unlike the original).
"Daniel" - Bat For Lashes
Take the bass line from my favorite Cure song ('A Forest'), slow it down a bit, and then add earnest love song lyrics dedicated to the titular character from a childhood cinema classic ("The Karate Kid") and well, I love it anyway.
"The Things That Hate Us" - Atmosphere
Get it for free here (legally, the whole frickin' album--but the aforementioned song is best). Just a little jab about existence in the good ol' US of A. Technically, this came out at the end of December '08, but oh well.
Sample lyrics:
"Strip clubs, gun shops, Oh Jesus/
right next to the liquor store for your convenience/"
&
"America the beautiful/
that's how she played us/
wasn't that cute/
it must've been her make-up/"
"Reality Check (aka Reality TV) feat. Black Thought" - J Dilla Jay Stay Paid
J Dilla aka JayDee (R.I.P.) was (and still is) the golden child of hip-hop producers circa 1990s-2000s (think 9th Wonder with a bit more tenure/longevity) who wasn't afraid to bridge the gap between the underground and mainstream--DOOM to De La Soul to Mary J. Blige. This song features the Roots' front man in a biting anti-reality TV diatribe (there really needs to be more of this--I would definitely buy stock in reality TV backlash).
The Ecstatic - Mos Def > see especially "Quiet Dog Bite Hard"
Ok, so it may not be a great album all the way through or as good as his earlier work, but it still is a pleasant surprise considering the previews I've seen for Next Day Air. And in the realm of rappers turned actors, I think Mos Def currently resides on the top of the mountain.
Still Night, Still Light - Au Revoir Simone
I'm still forming my thoughts about this album, but I'll tentatively say that I like it better than their first two. It definitely has a darker, more somber feel than the last album (The Bird of Music). Every now and then I wish one of these ladies would put down the keyboard and pick up a guitar...
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