A Valentine From De La Soul

"Love sought is good, but given unsought better."

-William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night (III.i)

The best valentine that you, or anyone, will receive this year comes courtesy of the legendary hip hop trio De La Soul. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of their classic debut album 3 Feet High and Rising, the group is offering their entire discography for free download. Repeat: the entire De La Soul catalog can be legally downloaded for free via the group's website; from 3 Feet High and Rising and De La Soul is Dead (endlessly inventive albums on which producer Prince Paul completely redefined the art of sampling in popular music) to their more sober-minded '90s work and beyond. This give-away is not limited to studio albums, so even devoted fans can find rarities and instrumentals for download. This is an extraordinary opportunity to familiarize yourself with one of the most innovative musical acts of the last quarter century. But, you've got to be quick about it, as the offer expires when Valentine's Day expires.

Music Roundup: My Top 10 Albums of 2012

Top Ten

The Seer - Swans
The music on The Seer is far more sophisticated than the Swans recordings of the early-'80s, when the band was about brutal noise and confrontation at the expense of all else. Michael Gira has refined his songwriting and expanded his thematic concerns throughout his long career, most notably with his Angels of Light project. But the dark drama and punishing intensity are still integral to the band's vision. The Seer is a sinister, droning masterpiece.

'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Certain artists inspire devotion, and GY!BE have had a devout following since their 1997 debut. 'Allelujah! is their first new record since 2002 (Yanqui U.X.O.);  a record comprised of two relatively long compositions and two shorter works that have been part of the collective's live repertoire. (The Guardian published a statement from the group coincident with the release of 'Allelujah!, providing some genuinely moving sentiments about the group's ambitions.) If you're unfamiliar with GY!BE, the ideal introduction is "The Dead Flag Blues," the legendary first track from the group's debut record. There's simply no better encapsulation of the what Godspeed You! Black Emperor is about. Follow that with the 'Allelujah! track "Their Helicopters' Sing" for further evidence of the visceral beauty of this group's music.

The Sun - Cat Power
Chan Marshall's career has had distinct musical phases that aren't always appreciated by the same audience; her stark, guitar-based recordings from the '90s often go unappreciated by those who favor her Southern soul influenced work. As a fan of her entire catalog, I'd like to think that The Sun represents yet another break/innovation. The soulful horn section has been replaced with warm synthesizers and electronic beats. There isn't much precedent for this type of production in Marshall's work, though it may have some superficial similarities with her guest spot on Handsome Boy Modelling School's 2004 record. The appeal of any Cat Power album is Marshall's voice, and it's invigorating to hear her sing with such directness on The Sun.

Four - Bloc Party
Bloc Party have always excelled at combining the best elements of  late-90s Blur and Radiohead with intense post-punk angularity. Those expected strengths are very much on display on the band's fourth record, but, really, nothing could have prepared me for the monster riffs of "Coliseum."

Cancer4Cure - El-P
The music of El-P is so idiosyncratic and distinctly his own that it's almost instantly identifiable. Forever at the margins of whatever can be considered "mainstream" hip-hop, El-P has consistently crafted innovative and intriguing music that reveals a profound appreciation for classic sampling. C4C is unquestionably one of El-P's finest records; a wild melange of samples and sounds that is, strangely, the most focused he has ever sounded.

Key to the Kuffs - JJ DOOM
You can pair MF DOOM with just about anyone and the results will, at the very least, be interesting. But his recent collaboration with MC/producer Jneiro Jarel is considerably more than a curio. Key to the Kuffs isn't a perfect record; and it suffers by comparison to Madvillainy, DOOM's beloved 2004 collaboration with Madlib. (To be fair, every recording suffers by comparison with Madvillainy.) Taken on a track-by-track basis, this is some of the best work DOOM has done in years. "Guv'nor" is almost certainly the standout, with its woozy production and lyrics that range far wider than DOOM's typical concerns.

awE naturalE - THEESatisfaction
I first heard TheeSatisfaction as guest artists on one my favorite records of 2011, Black Up by Shabazz Palaces. awE naturalE is the Seattle duo's debut full-length, and it easily exceeds all expectations in its seductive beauty and the seemingly effortless interplay between the singer (Cat) and the emcee (Stas).

Don't Be a Stranger - Mark Eitzel
My appreciation for this record may, to some extent, be tinged with nostalgia for the magisterial dolorousness of classic American Music Club. (Along with Red House Painters, A.M.C. were the demigods of slow-core.) But, taken on its own terms, Don't Be a Stranger is a beautifully crafted record that makes the most of Eitzel's unique voice and songcraft.

Between the Times and the Tides - Lee Ranaldo
As guitarist and co-founder of the band Sonic Youth, Lee Ranaldo's legacy as a rock innovator is secure. But, like his band-mates Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, he has pursued various solo projects throughout has career. While the numerous side projects by Gordon and Moore are still pretty recognizable as Sonic Youth recordings (to the extent that Sonic Youth can be said to have a recognizable template), Ranaldo is pursuing musical ideas far afield of his full-time gig. From the darkly pulsing opening track, "Waiting on a Dream," to the gentle lyricism of "Stranded,"Between the Times and the Tides is a beautiful record that displays Ranaldo's maturation as a songwriter.

Mature Themes - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Mature Themes is as strange as Ariel Pink himself. You just need to accept that Pink is working on another level, and the more time you spend with his songs, the more resonant they become. (Though I'm not sure there's any way to make sense of the almost unbelievably odd "Schnitzel Boogie.") Mature Themes isn't all experimentation and obfuscation; "Only in My Dreams" is as direct and charming a pop song as you could ask for, and the album's closer, "Baby," is a surprisingly soulful cover that just may be my favorite track of the year.

Other Highlights

2012 featured new music from some of my longtime favorites: Deerhoof (Breakup Song), Sun Kil Moon (Among the Leaves), Spiritualized (Sweet Heart, Sweet Light), Nas (Life Is Good), Mount Eerie (Clear Moon), and a late-entry from Big Boi (Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors). There were also a handful of newcomers who made an indelible impression: Frank Ocean (Channel Orange), Death Grips (The Money Store), and the surprisingly divisive pop singer Lana Del Rey (Born to Die). Say what you will about Del Rey's debut album, her single "Video Games" is an evocative song that feels emblematic of its moment in time, an impression that is only enhanced by its accompanying video.

My Music Year: 1988

After considerable deliberation, one stopgap exercise, and an awesome assist from Heather, I'm ready to endorse a music year. How did I settle on 1988? Was it my fond recollection of the molded plastic California Raisins that were so bountiful that year? It was not. My actual music-related memories of 1988 are fairly limited: I remember Fine Young Cannibals on the radio in my dad’s car (“She Drives Me Crazy” and  “Good Thing”), and Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" was getting some serious play from my older sister. Oh, and the treacly "Living Years" by Mike + The Mechanics was an inescapable pop song. Apparently the New Kids on the Block were Hangin' Tough that year, but I don't really recall. (This Billboard compilation offers a fairly concise glimpse of what else people were listening to in '88.)

I was ten years old in 1988, and I was functionally illiterate as far as pop-culture goes. I didn't even have a tape deck. I think my only exposure to rap music had been a surreptitious viewing of the Beastie Boys' video "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)". It would be some time before I had the opportunity to understand the Beasties' oeuvre beyond that one song, but I did appreciate their sense of humor. (Yes, even I knew they were lampooning themselves.) I was so remarkably ignorant of popular music that I thought Simon & Garfunkel were a current group. (I'm not sure how to account for that misnomer, but I would guess it had something to do with PBS re-airing the duo's 1980 reunion concert.) What can I say? I lived in my own head-space, as many young people do, and I was content with my paperback copies of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Jules Verne.

It wasn't until I was thirteen or fourteen that I began developing musical tastes of my own, and once that happened, 1988 proved to be the wellspring of my musical interests. In an odd way, the music of 1988 would influence me considerably from my middle-school years to the present day. And let me tell you, there are few constants in my life that span those years. (I'm not strictly using "constant" in the Desmond Hume sense of the word, but you are encouraged to interpret it that way.)

Happy Birthday Ghostface Killah!

Break out your biggest gold chain necklace and start blasting Supreme Clientele, because it's Dennis Coles aka. Ghostface Killah aka. Ghostdini aka. Ironman aka. Tony Starks aka. my spirit Wu-Tang Clan member's 42nd Birthday!  Check out an album by Wu-Tang Clan or by Ghostface to celebrate!

The Rise and Fall of Wu-Tang: An Infodiscography

An enterprising designer named Jess Bachman has assembled an "infodiscography" of the legendary hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan. These visually striking graphics offer an insightful overview of the myriad Wu-affiliated releases, and are particularly useful for exploring the members' solo projects. The three-part series sets out to highlight the rise, fragmentation, and decline of the group. I would argue that the enduring artistic influence of the Wu-Tang Clan precludes anything like a decline, but it's a well executed project that can be especially useful to beginner or intermediate Wu aficionados. If you'd like to know which of these solo projects are available through the library, you can take a look at the list I've compiled in bibliocommons.

The "infodiscography" graphics themselves are quite large. Check out part one after the jump.

Music Roundup: My Top 10 Albums of 2011

My (Always Subjective) Top 10 List:


Apocalypse - Bill Callahan
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If Bill Callahan puts out a new record, it will be my favorite record of the year. That's not mere dedication to a songwriter I've favored for two decades, but rather an acknowledgment that he gets better with each passing year. I would argue that Apocalypse, the latest from Callahan, is as evocative and frankly spellbinding as any work in the artist's catalog.
Standout tracks: "Baby's Breath" and "Riding for the Feeling"

Undun - The Roots
A percussive, soulful concept album that somehow, impossibly, improves upon the band's prior successes. By my count, this is the tenth Roots record that is an unequivocal classic. Tenth. Can you name another contemporary group with those credentials? I can't.
Standout tracks: This is such a cohesive work, there's little point in highlighting specific tracks.

Bad as Me - Tom Waits
Arguably less ambitious than your average Tom Waits album (there's no song-cycle or high-concept narrative on this one), Bad as Me still offers just about everything you could possibly want from the artist at this stage of his career: guttural crooning, dusty blues, early R&B, rockabilly, and, yes, Keith Richards and Marc Ribot on guitar.
Standout tracks: "Raised Right Men", "Get Lost", and "Hell Broke Luce"

House of Balloons/Thursday - The Weeknd
House of Balloons is The Weeknd's proper full-length debut, and it justifiably received most of the accolades. But the mix-tape that followed it, Thursday, was a compelling listen in its own right. I'm including both in my top ten list, because I can. The lyrics on these recordings range from amusing to clumsy, but the sound is guaranteed to make you woozy. In a good way. (These two albums are only available as digital downloads from artist's Tumblr page.)
Standout tracks: "What You Need", "The Party and the After Party" and "Lonely Star"

Bon Iver - Bon Iver
This self-titled album is the proper follow-up to Justin Vernon's critically acclaimed debut, For Emma, Forever Ago. Vernon's gentle voice and impressionistic lyrics are still the focal point, but this record features a much fuller sound. I think I favor the intimacy of the earlier album, but Bon Iver has some excellent songs that benefit from the enhanced instrumentation.
Standout tracks: "Calgary" and "Minnesota, WI"

Black Up - Shabazz Palaces
Remember the '90s rap group Digable Planets? Doesn't matter. Even if you were familiar with that group, you'd probably never have guessed that Shabazz Palaces is the current project for former Digable Planets rapper Ishmael Butler. This is an astoundingly relevant and forward-looking album, particularly as it comes from an artist who has been in the business since the Clinton Administration.
Standout tracks: "A Treatease Dedicated to the Avian Airless from North East Nubis"

Demolished Thoughts - Thurston Moore
A solo outing from Sonic Youth singer/guitarist Thurston Moore, Demolished Thoughts is essentially a singer-songwriter album that sounds a lot like Sonic Youth. I find that to be a pretty irresistible combination. The songs are uniformly strong on this record, but they reach greatness thanks to the gorgeous production, courtesy of Beck.
Standout tracks: "Circulation" and "Orchard Street"

W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) - Pharoahe Monch
This may be the most focused, concise Monch album yet. His lyrical delivery is always a thing to behold, and his work on W.A.R. just might be up there with his revered solo debut.
Standout tracks: "W.A.R." and "Black Hand Side"

Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2 - Beastie Boys
I never thought I'd be including a Beastie Boys album in my top ten, but here we are. I've enjoyed Hot Sauce Committee more than any Beasties record since...the '90s? This is a record by a group of guys who know their strengths and actually sound like they're having a good time. Bonus points for collaborating with Nas on "Too Many Rappers". I would endorse an entire of album of Nas rhyming over Beastie Boys beats.
Standout tracks: "Make Some Noise" and "Too Many Rappers"

Father, Son, Holy Ghost - Girls
I'll be honest, the big over-the-top climaxes on Father, Son, Holy Ghost don't always pay off. But when they do... If you can appreciate the idea of a decidedly idiosyncratic songwriter going all out, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen.
Standout tracks: "Honey Bunny" and "Love Like a River"

Runners Up/Honorable Mentions:

The Family Sign - Atmosphere

El Camino - Black Keys

Deerhoof vs. Evil - Deerhoof

The Book of David - DJ Quik

No Kings - Doomtree

I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive - Steve Earle

Ceremonials - Florence + the Machine

Tell Me - Jessica Lea Mayfield

The Only She Chapters - Prefuse 73

Fear of God II: Let Us Pray - Pusha T

Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang - Raekwon

The Whole Love - Wilco

Wild Flag - Wild Flag

Gil Scott-Heron: 1949-2011

Gil Scott-Heron died Friday, May 27th, at the age of 62. He was a fiercely engaged vocalist and lyricist whose work incorporated blues, jazz, soul, and stream of consciousness poetry. Best known for his fiery spoken-word performances of the 1970s, Scott-Heron's lyrics consistently explored themes of social justice, poverty, urban violence, and race. He is frequently cited as a formative influence on the evolution of hip-hop, and his work has been sampled by such notable artists as Mos Def and De La Soul. Most recently, Kanye West built a track around Scott-Heron's voice on the chart-topping album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He addressed his elder statesman status with both pride and chagrin on the 1994 album Spirits: "We got respect for you rappers and the way you be free-weighin', but if you're gon' be teachin' folks things, make sure you know what you're sayin' ." The compilation The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is an essential sampler of his work, but his is a legacy more varied and rewarding than a single disc can afford. (My personal favorite is the 1971 album Pieces of a Man.) Scott-Heron was experiencing something of a renaissance of late, with his 2010 album I'm New Here and its 2011 remix We're New Here garnering considerable critical acclaim. As engaging and insightful as both those records are, there isn't really a better introduction to this artist's work than the pointed media critique "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised":

Da Mystery of Chessboxin

You may not immediately associate the acclaimed hip-hop collective known as The Wu-Tang Clan with the tiny pieces of colorful plastic known as Legos. But, it's high time something was done about that. The anthemic track "Da Mystery of Chessboxin" comes from Wu-Tang Clan's justly lauded 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). And here we have a clever little accompanying video, featuring all the synchronized sword-play and allegorical chess maneuvers you could wish for. Don't expect the slick polish of Michel Gondry's award-winning video for The White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl". What you've got here is relatively low-tech stop-motion animation that nicely manages to capture the humor and menace of the original track. The highlight for me is the hilariously glowering Lego-man that denotes ODB. Green overalls! I also like the inclusion of several blank-faced figures (around the 2-minute and 2-minutes-30-second mark) which seem to correspond with the original album cover. I commend the Wu-Tang aficionado who put this video together, whoever he or she may be. I'm guessing it was done by a particularly industrious and inspired intern at Wu-Tang international headquarters, located in central Shaolin.

Warning: Video Contains Explicit Lyrics and LEGO Weapons


Courtesy of Flavorwire

Music Roundup: My Top 10 Albums of 2010

Interestingly, almost none of the artists from my 2009 Music Roundup appear on this year's list. In fact, few of them released albums this year at all. MF Doom's out-of-nowhere live album is a notable exception, but it's Dan Auerbach who makes the list for the second consecutive year. Auerbach's 2009 solo album, Keep it Hid, was a definite favorite of mine, and this year he's back with an outstanding Black Keys album. As is always the case with my subjective "best of" lists, these titles are not ranked. This is just an opportunity for me to share some of my favorite musical experiences, in the hope that you might enjoy them as much as I have.

Hip-Hop Classics...Live!

According to Billboard, the acclaimed hip-hop crew Wu-Tang Clan will not only headline this summer's Rock the Bells Festival but will also perform their legendary 1993 debut album in its entirety. The hugely influential album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is notable for its lyrical diversity, complex slang and allusion, and groundbreaking production by founding member RZA. The Wu-Tang Clan's sound has evolved considerably over the course of its five studio albums, but Enter the Wu-Tang is still considered a landmark in rap music and hip-hop culture. Several other seminal emcees are scheduled to perform live interpretations of their debut albums: KRS-One is set to perform the 1987 Boogie Down Productions album Criminal Minded, Rakim will perform his 1987 masterpiece Paid in Full, and consummate storyteller Slick Rick will perform 1988's The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Other artists scheduled to perform at the festival include: Brother Ali, Clipse, DJ Muggs, Jedi Mind Tricks, and Murs. I'm hoping that a future headliner will be the Virginia Beach duo Clipse, performing their debut album Lord Willin'.

Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim
Find it in the catalog!

The Great Adventures of Slick Rick - Slick Rick
Find it in the catalog!

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu-Tang Clan
Find it in the catalog!

What we're listening to: BlakRoc

BlakRoc - BlakRoc
Find it in the catalog!

The Black Keys are singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Pat Carney. Their sound is a gritty garage-rock hybrid of white-boy blues and earnest enthusiasm for the likes of Junior Kimbrough and Lightnin' Hopkins. Their string of outstanding records over the last decade has earned them a loyal following, but the BlakRoc project may seem like a curve-ball to even their loyalest of fans. BlakRoc is a collaboration between The Black Keys and a handful of preeminent rappers. Mos Def, RZA, Raekwon, Q-Tip, and others were enlisted to record rhymes over a bedrock of rhythmic Black Keys jams. If you're wary of another rap/rock crossover project, that reserve is more than justified. There have been very few successful pairings of these two broad genres, and quite a few notable failures, but the BlakRoc project succeeds on every level. The gritty precision of Auerbach's guitar and Carney's drums proves to be a perfect foil for these veteran emcees. There isn't a weak track on the record, but there are several highlights. "On the Vista" seems particularly noteworthy, as Mos Def makes a stronger argument for musical fusion on this two-and-a-half minute track than he managed on the entirety of his 2004 rap/rock album The New Danger. "Dollaz & Sense" is an opportunity to hear RZA (Abbott of the Wu-Tang Clan) alternate verses with Pharoahe Monch, which is a paring not to be missed. Perhaps the best example of the symbiotic sound these artists have created is the album's single. "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)" features Jim Jones on the mic and Mos Def and Dan Auerbach harmonizing on the chorus. I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not sway along.

Previous albums by The Black Keys:

The Big Come Up (2002)

Thickfreakness (2003)

Rubber Factory (2004)

Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough (2006)

Magic Potion (2006)

Attack & Release (2008)

The forthcoming Black Keys album, titled Brothers, is due out May 18th.

My Top 25 Hip-Hop Records

This is a personal and subjective list of the twenty-five hip-hop records that I hold in the highest esteem. These albums are not ranked. If I had to come up with some sort of qualitative ranking system, I know that Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Illmatic would be near the top of the list. That's about as close as I can get to naming an all-time favorite rap record. I have ordered the albums chronologically, to give a sense of the art-form's progression; from the early party-centric crews (Sugarhill, Stetsasonic) to the aural and political revolution of Public Enemy, to the rise and ultimate mainstreaming of "gangsta" rap, and the ascendancy of the Wu-Tang Clan. Running through this roughly thirty year history is a lineage of left-field underground artists that, I would argue, are the truest creative legacy of the genre. I'm thinking of The Ultramagnetic MC's, De La Soul, and MF DOOM (the artist who probably comes closest to my ideal emcee). I have previously written about some of these albums and artists in greater depth. Feel free to check out my blog entries on MF DOOM, Raekwon's masterpiece Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and Dälek's Gutter Tactics.

I want to emphasize that this list is entirely my own. There are innumerable "objective" lists of the Greatest Hip-Hop Records Ever, the majority of them placing Dr. Dre's The Chronic in a place of honor. My list does not include any records by Dr. Dre, Eminem, Ice-T, LL Cool J, N.W.A., and many other mainstays. These are not oversights, but preferences. Without in any way questioning their varying influence on the genre, those artists are not particularly interesting to me, and I see little point in duplicating the prevailing hierarchy. As for the reverse problem, many albums were left off my list for the sake of concision. Some albums I would like to have placed on my list include: Big Daddy Kane's Long Live the Kane, Gang Starr's Daily Operation, Little Brother's Get Back, the Mos Def & Talib Kweli collaboration Black Star, Slick Rick's The Great Adventure's of Slick Rick, and any of the five studio albums by A Tribe Called Quest. Follow the jump to view what did make my list.

Def Jux Record Label Announces Hiatus

The respected independent record label Definitive Jux is set to cease, or radically modify, its operations. Founded in New York City in 1999, Def Jux has been a mainstay of underground hip-hop, with an impressive roster of socially conscious artists. According to El-P, the label's co-founder and artistic director, Def Jux will not be releasing new records for the foreseeable future. El-P's announcement (which can be viewed on the label's website) is rambling, charming, and ultimately a little short on specifics. While this isn't exactly the end of an era, it's worth considering the significant contributions made by this trend-setting indie.

Here's a handful of outstanding records on the Def Jux label:

The Cold Vein - Cannibal Ox

Find it in the catalog!

Funcrusher Plus - Company Flow

Find it in the catalog!

I'll Sleep When You're Dead - El-P

Find it in the catalog!

Check out the 2010 Grammy nominees from the library

The Grammys air tomorrow night at 7 PM on CBS. Here are some nominated albums and artists you can check out from the library (click on the album title).  I put the albums nominated for multiple awards at the beginning of the list. Note: if you're looking for a nominated album not listed here, you can still search ALL LIBRARIES in the catalog and request the material be sent to Dundee for you to pick up.

X by Trace Adkins
"All I Ask For Anymore"- Best Male Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Song

I Am... Sasha Fierce by Beyonce
Album Of The Year, Best Contemporary R&B Album; "Halo"- Record Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"- Song Of The Year, Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
 
The E.N.D. by The Black Eyed Peas
Album Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Album; "I Gotta Feeling"- Record Of The Year, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; "Boom Boom Pow"- Best Dance Recording, Best Short Form Music Video

Live From Madison Square Garden by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
Best Rock Album; "Can't Find My Way Home"- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King by Dave Matthews Band
Album Of The Year, Best Rock Album

Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode
Best Alternative Music Album; "Wrong"- Best Short Form Music Video

So Far Gone by Drake
"Best I Ever Had"- Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Song

Together Through Life by Bob Dylan
Best Americana Album; "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

Relapse by Eminem
Best Rap Album; "Beautiful"- Best Rap Solo Performance; "Crack A Bottle" (featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent)- Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 - Africa Sessions by Bela Fleck
Best Contemporary World Music Album; "Throw Down Your Heart"- Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Intuition by Jamie Foxx
Best Contemporary R&B Album; "Blame It" (featuring T-Pain)- Best Male R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best R&B Song

The Fray by The Fray
Best Pop Vocal Album; "Never Say Never"- Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals

21st Century Breakdown by Green Day
Best Rock Album; "21 Guns"- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; Best Rock Song

Ellipse by Imogen Heap
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical; "The Fire"- Best Pop Instrumental Performance

 The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z
"D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"- Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Song; "Run This Town" (featuring Rihanna and Kanye West)- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song

The Fame by Lady Gaga
Album Of The Year, Best Electronic/Dance Album; "Poker Face"- Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Dance Recording

BLACKsummers' Night by Maxwell
Best R&B Album; "Pretty Wings"- Song Of The Year, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song; "Love You"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "Phoenix Rise"- Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
Best New Artist; "Kids"- Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

The Ecstatic by Mos Def
Best Rap Album; "Casa Bey"- Best Rap Solo Performance

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. by Jason Mraz
"Make it Mine"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "Lucky" (featuring Colbie Caillat)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Funhouse by Pink
Best Pop Vocal Album; "Sober"- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Soul by Seal
"If You Don't Know Me By Now"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "A Change is Gonna Come"- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Working On A Dream by Bruce Springsteen
"Working On A Dream"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance; Best Rock Song

Twang by George Strait
Best Country Album; "Living For The Night"- Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Fearless by Taylor Swift
Album Of The Year, Best Country Album; "You Belong With Me"- Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; "Breathe" (featuring Colbie Caillat)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals; "White Horse"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Song

Paper Trail by T.I.
"Dead And Gone" (featuring Justin Timberlake)- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song

No Line On The Horizon by U2
Best Rock Album; "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song

Carnival Ride by Carrie Underwood
"Just A Dream"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance; "I Told You So" (featuring Randy Travis)- Best Country Collaboration With Vocals


Defying Gravity by Keith Urban
Best Country Album; "Sweet Thing"- Best Male Country Vocal Performance


Call Me Crazy by Lee Ann Womack
Best Country Album; "Solitary Thinkin'"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance; "Everything But Quits" (featuring George Strait)- Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

The Foundation by Zac Brown Band
Best Country Album; "Chicken Fried"- Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; Best New Artist

19 by Adele
"Hometown Glory"- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Breakthrough by Colbie Caillat
Best Pop Vocal Album

The List by Rosanne Cash
"Sea of Heartbreak" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Fantasy Ride by Ciara
"Love Sex Magic" (featuring Justin Timberlake)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

All I Ever Wanted by Kelly Clarkson
Best Pop Vocal Album


Universal Mind Control by Common
Best Rap Album

R.O.O.T.S. by Flo Rida
Best Rap Album


The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again by John Fogerty
"Change in the Weather"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

Evolver by John Legend
"This Time"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

Celebration by Madonna
"Celebration"- Best Dance Recording

Shine by Martina McBride
"I Just Call You Mine"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance

One of the Boys by Katy Perry
"Hot N Cold"- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
Best Alternative Music Album

LotusFlow3r by Prince
"Dreamer"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

The Renaissance by Q-Tip
Best Rap Album

Circus by Britney Spears
"Womanizer"- Best Dance Recording

808s & Heartbreak by Kanye West
"Amazing" (featuring Young Jeezy)- Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

It's Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Best Alternative Music Album

Fork In The Road by Neil Young
"Fork In The Road"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

My Top 25 Albums of the Decade

The "best" albums of the Aughts? Nah. This is a list of the 25 albums that I have listened to and enjoyed and ultimately spent the most time with over the past ten years. I set out to make a modest list of 10 such albums, which quickly became 20, then inexplicably 26. After some deliberation, I sacrificed one and made it 25. (Apologies to Shellac's 2007 record Excellent Italian Greyhound.)

Many of the artists on my list had made waves in the preceding decade. Ghostface Killah had distinguished himself with the seminal Wu-Tang Clan records and his 1996 solo debut, but 2000's Supreme Clientele was still a shockingly advanced work of art. Sleater-Kinney had been indie stalwarts since the mid-'90s, and their 2002 album One Beat provided a stripped-down and cathartic sense of what the new millennium felt like. Modest Mouse had released records on the indie labels K-Records and Up before making their major-label debut with The Moon & Antarctica. Fugazi put the capstone on a stellar and incredibly influential career with their final album, The Argument. Bill Callahan bid farewell to his Smog alias in 2005 with what was quite possibly his finest work to date, A River Ain't Too Much to Love.

But some of the artists represented here were new faces in the '00s. The hip-hop duo Clipse hooked up with super-producers The Neptunes and recorded the incredibly self-assured debut, Lord Willin'. Emcee/musician/producer Madlib had his hands on more wax this decade than a candle-maker. His 2003 album Shades of Blue is a perfect example of the artist's ravenous - and yet somehow reverent - reinterpretation of classic sounds. And a young woman named Mathangi Arulpragasm, better known as M.I.A., introduced herself to a global audience with the endlessly inventive Kala. "No one on the corner has swagger like us..."

DOOM, Pt. 1

Underground hip-hop has an evil genius, and his name is DOOM, a/k/a King Geedorah, a/k/a MF DOOM, a/k/a Metal Face DOOM, a/k/a Metal Fingers DOOM, a/k/a Viktor Vaughn, a/k/a Zevlove X, real name Daniel Dumile (pronounced /duːməleɪ/). Part comic book villain, part doomsayer.

Dumile debuted as a guest emcee on the 3rd Bass track "The Gas Face," on their 1989 LP The Cactus Album. At that time, performing under his Zevlove X alias, he was forming a small crew of his own, known as K.M.D. (which included his brother Dingilizwe). K.M.D. released the Mr. Hood album in 1991, but the DOOM story nearly ended before it began. In 1993, Dingilizwe Dumile was killed in a traffic accident, and Elektra refused to release K.M.D.'s sophomore album, due to concerns over its cover art (depicting a "sambo" character) and militant political stance. Faced with these personal and professional crises, Dumile essentially threw in the towel, finding a legit day-job and devoting himself to raising his son.

If the story had ended there, Daniel Dumile would be little more than a footnote, a bit of trivia for hip-hop aficionados. But, in 1999, Dumile released the album Operation: Doomsday, under the newly assumed nom de guerre MF DOOM. Dumile borrowed his DOOM persona from the Marvel Comics character Dr. Doom, a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby super-villain, best remembered for his masked visage and ongoing feud with the Fantastic Four. Dumile used this startlingly off-center back-story as a point of digression; upending the late-90s fly-guy rap image by utilizing arcane pop-culture references, bizarre slang, and wicked humor. Oh, and he started wearing a mask.



Dumile's myriad DOOM-related releases, and his ever-growing list of guest appearances, can be overwhelming. For neophytes, the ideal starting point would be Madvillainy (2004), Dumile's acclaimed collaboration with hip-hop producer Madlib. The Madvillain project was DOOM at his most accessible; an oddly endearing collaboration that was widely considered one of the best albums of 2004. (Adult Swim fans may recognize the track "Money Folder" as a bumper between commercials on the Cartoon Network's late-night lineup.) And, in true Dumile fashion, even the album's cover art is a playful pop-culture homage:



That same year, the ever-more-prolific Dumile released another solo album, MM..Food? (2004). This interrogatively-titled record expanded on the DOOM mythology, while simultaneously providing enough food-obsessed couplets to satiate Alton Brown. My personal favorite food-related non-sequitur: "Ignore Cordon Bleu, stand up, get up!"

Dumile's most high-profile collaboration was The Mouse and the Mask, his 2005 record with Danger Mouse (the super-producer best known as half of the duo Gnarls Barkley). Tellingly, this record heavily samples various Adult Swim cartoons: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvery Birdman, Sealab 2021, and Space Ghost. It's difficult to imagine a musical artist more perfectly suited to the Adult Swim crowd than Daniele Dumile.

Stay tuned for more DOOM arcana!