Gonzo’s Top 10 of the Decade
Hello Ickies! I know I’ve been absent from posting for far too long. I shall try harder in 2010 (though I think I said the same thing last year).
The first decade of the new millennium produced some great music, from established artists and from new folks. Keeping with the format set forth by Mark and Pete, I offer my top 10 of the decade. Narrowing it to ten was a near impossible task. I adopted Pete’s “one album per artist rule,” which helped. Also know that these are in no order whatsoever. I simply can’t rank them. We’ll go chronologically. That seems fair.
First, I’ll briefly plug my two-disc Aughts (oughts?) mix that Pete mentioned. Check it out and enjoy!
Outkast – Stankonia (2000)
Still my favorite Outkast record. I am certainly not one to knock Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. But for me, Stankonia has held up better as the new decade dawns. That might just be a product of having played the hell out of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. But personally, I feel like when Outkast hit, they made us realize that hey, you can actually have really good hip hop in the top 40.Daft Punk – Discovery (2001)
Speaking of albums that I overplayed in the earlier part of the decade, Daft Punk’s sophomore effort is certainly another example. There were so many big songs off this – whether their bigness was represented in college airplay or appropriation by television commercials. “One More Time,” “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” “Digital Love,” “Something About Us,” “Face to Face” … Lord. This was essential weekend grooving for a good 2 years of my college life.
Sigur Ros – ( ) (2002)
This album blew me away. At the time, a friend described Sigur Ros as music to watch glaciers move by (or something along those lines). I was impressed first with the laboriously slow tempo of the tracks. More than that though, was the emotional depth in an album of songs who had no true lyrics to speak of. You may recall that the songs are sung in “Hopelandic,” wherein the idea was to go for the phonetic sounds that seemed most effective rather than a language proper (though structurally Hopelandic is based on the band’s native tongue of Icelandic).
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
This album cemented the Flaming Lips in music history. They’d had some success with “She Don’t Use Jelly” and more recently, The Soft Bulletin. But Yoshimi took them to the next level. Although their follow up (2006’s At War with the Mystics) was great and their current release (Embryonic) is also quite good, it all goes back to Yoshimi. It’s their masterpiece.
Jay-Z – The Black Album (2003)
“S’ya boy!” Speaking of canonic, career-defining albums, there is little doubt in my mind that Jay-Z’s Black Album is his magnum opus. It almost makes me think that maybe he was serious about retiring, and put everything into what was to be his swan song. Of course that isn’t the way things panned out. Nonetheless, the album is a hip hop classic, track after track.
White Stripes-Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
I love the White Stripes. No, really. And I’ve gone on record as naming Jack White the artist of the decade. The Stripes have yet to disappoint me. Sure, 2007’s Icky Thump didn’t live up to its predecessors, but even their worst album is still pretty damn good. I didn’t think they could top Elephant, but 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan did just that. I love that they aren’t afraid to experiment – they relish the chance to step outside of their blues-rock/garage comfort zone. Satan was all over the place stylistically, and each fore was a success. The summer that this came out, I seriously listened to it at least twice a day for a month.
MIA-Arular (2005)
Pete might be onto something in saying that MIA is a love her or hate her type of artist. I love her, though I’ve played her for others that remain unimpressed. I was floored upon hearing Arular – it was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. It sounds cliche to say, but MIA is truly a hybrid artist, meshing so many genres and cultural flavors into one. 2007’s Kala is also amazing, but not quite the sonic dance floor assault that Arular is. She’s allegedly at work on the third album, so here’s hoping.
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork (2007)
Quite possibly my pick for best party album of the decade. They’re cheeky, funky and they’ve mastered the Minneapolis sound. Fancy Footwork just makes me want to dance, from start to finish. There is not a bad track on the album. They’re also a good time live, and they’ve slated a new disc for a summer 2010 release. I can’t wait.
Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours (2008)
More dancing. Aussie electropop outfit Cut Copy harken back to the 1980s synth dance of groups like New Order, but manage to do so in a way that takes them beyond being a mere retro or ripoff act. In essence, Cut Copy effectively takes emotive 1980s dance music and updates it for the new millennium. (Can I still refer to this as the new millennium ten years on?)
Santogold – Santogold (2008)
A year ago, I claimed Santogold’s self-titled debut as my favorite disc from 2008, and my feelings have not changed. The Brooklynite alternately incorporates hip hop, new wave and ska influences among others, all adding up to one of the most refreshing albums of the decade. And she keeps good company – Diplo, Switch, Spank Rock, Amanda Blank…I very much look forward to what Santogold/Santigold offers up in the new decade.
Between the Cracks: Sly and the Family Stone’s “A Whole New Thing”
Hello, Ickies!
I know that my posts here have been minimal for some time. I’m busy looking for a job, wrapping up the dissertation, and playing Rock Band 2. But I promised Pete that my New Year’s resolution would be to post here with more frequency. This is a way to (potentially) force more regular posts out of me. I’ll just say that these will be “regular” or “occasional,” though I’d like to shoot for “monthly.” I make no promises.
I present the first of a new “column” so to speak, Between the Cracks. The series will focus on forgotten, underrated and misunderstood albums that are worthy of reexamination.
This edition takes a look/listen to the 1967 debut from Sly and the Family Stone, A Whole New Thing.
Truth be told, this post has been stewing in my mind for over a year. Last Christmas (2007), my girlfriend gave me the Sly and the Family Stone boxed set – all seven albums, remastered with bonus tracks. I’d coveted this set since it’s release, and was eager to devour it thoroughly. I’m pretty familiar with Sly’s catalog already, but put A Whole New Thing on my stereo with some hesitancy. The common problem with these comprehensive collections is that the artist’s best work is often sandwiched between generally uninteresting developmental early material, and bland, mediocre final albums.
Within 30 seconds of hearing the album’s opener, “Underdog” however, I felt like Sly had slapped me across the face with a fistful of funk for having doubted him. Playing the song a few days later for a fellow music geek and drinking buddy, he was similarly floored. And that’s kind of the way A Whole New Thing works as a whole – it’s a solid, sophisticated dose of soul and funk that shows surprisingly no weaknesses for a debut album.
But then the question remains – why is this disc largely forgotten?
My ponderings on this point were reignited recently while reading Nelson George’s Death of the Rhythm & Blues, where George briefly mentions Sly’s “debut” album, Dance to the Music. I was a bit flabergasted as to how or why a well-versed music journalist (and arguably, a music historian) would brush right over A Whole New Thing.
Perhaps it’s because the album did nothing commercially. Upon release, A Whole New Thing failed to chart at all. Indeed, it wasn’t until the aforementioned followup, Dance to the Music, that Sly and the Family Stone gained any substantial notoriety.
Nevertheless – hindsight is always 20/20, and it is this blogger/geek’s opinion that A Whole New Thing can stand strong with the rest of Sly’s classic catalog.
The album is admittedly more focused on the soul side of things, likely indicative of the time. In 1967, Motown and Stax were still going strong, maintaining their hold on the youth record buying public. Yet A Whole New Thing isn’t merely a Motown ripoff. In fact, it’s one of the more interesting soul records that I’ve ever heard.
“The Underdog” is undoubtedly the album’s strongest track, and its opener. Beginning with a minor key version of “Frere Jacques,” the song quickly jumps into a punchy, uptempo romp with strategically placed one-measure breaks where we can all catch a breather. I admit it’s become one of my ass-kicking anthems.
Sly & the Family Stone – The Underdog (mp3)
The rest of the album generally stays within the soul genre, but does so in a refreshing way. Yet even within the soul genre, A Whole New Thing is all over the place – cut time barn burners (“Turn Me Loose”), soulful downtempo ballads (“Let Me Hear it From You,” “This Kind of Person”), driving bass grooves cut with syncopated horn lines (“Bad Risk,” “If This Room Could Talk”), and tracks that would be sampled in classic hip hop cuts decades later (Public Enemy sampled “Turn Me Loose” for “Power to the People,” while “Trip to Your Heart” provides the groove for LL Cool J’s 1990 hit “Mama Said Knock You Out”).
One of the real treats of this release is the bonus track “What Would I Do.” I’m just going to let this one speak for itself, and leave you to ponder how in the world it was passed on as a single or album track.
Sly & the Family Stone – What Would I Do (mp3)
It’s all here. A Whole New Thing has all the makings of a classic soul album, yet the world slept on it upon its release, and it remained forgotten even as Sly and the Family Stone rocketed to legendary status with their blend of soul, funk and pop music that laid the groundwork for so much of the music that followed (Funkadelic and Prince, to name but two). I highly recommend it. I’ll say that the Sly boxed set is one of the better multi-disc investments I’ve made (or received), although all of the albums are also available separately.
Until next time, I go back into the cracks.
-Gonzo
The Year in (Ick)Music – Gonzo’s List
It’s been a pretty solid year. Either that means there’s a lot of great music coming out these days, or I’m just too hip for my own good. I’m guessing the former. Nevertheless, Pete asked me to share my best from 2008, and I am happy to do so! Earlier this month, I posted the tracklist to my annual year-end mix (with notes) over at my own blog, and last week posted a companion podcast (with minimal overlap). My comments here may be minimal only to prevent redundancy, but please feel free to stop by Gonzo’s Music-O-Rama.
Also, these numbers do not necessarily correspond to rank.Albums of the year:
1. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
::This would have been on my 2008 cd until I found out it was actually a 2007. I later found out the digital edition came out in 2007, but the hard copy hit shelves in 2008. Ergo, it is an omission from my initial list for which I’ve been making atonement ever since.
2. Santogold – Santogold
:: My pick for album of the year. Diverse, well produced and well executed. Comparisons to MIA are pretty superficial – their music for the most part is quite dissimilar, as evidenced by Santogold’s penchant for rock/new wave song structures.
3. Jamie Lidell – Jim
::Though less varied than Multiply, Jim is perhaps a more solid album. Jim‘s all-out soul revival gets the feet tappin’ and the fingers snappin’. My only concern is his next step – it seems to me you can only do the all-out retro thing for a very limited time and have it be interesting.
4. CSS – Donkey
5. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
::Possibly the most underrated album of the year.
6. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
::2008: New Order breaks up, Cut Copy carries the torch.
7. Ratatat – LP3
8. Pop Levi– Never Never Love
9. She & Him – Volume One
10. The Atlas Sound – Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
::I actually liked this better than the Deerhoof record.
Songs of the Year:
1. Ladytron – “Ghosts”
2. Crystal Castles – “Crimewave”
3. Cut Copy – “Lights & Music”
4. M83 – “Kim and Jesse” ::This is one that I admittedly got into only recently. The album didn’t grab me on first listen, but after some replays, it – and this track especially – are ranking highly in my book.
5. The Ting Tings -“Shut Up & Let Me Go”
6. Love is All – “Wishing Well”
7. Snoop Dogg – “Sensual Seduction”
8. Santogold – “L.E.S. Artistes” ::The entire Santogold album is great, and was the soundtrack for many runs this summer. While “L.E.S. Artistes” is a critique of the art/hipster scene, I have a Nike commercial in my head built around the chorus.Cover Songs of the Year:
Santogold – “Guns of Brooklyn”
guns of brooklyn (doc and jon hill dub) – Santogold and diplo
Take one of my favorite Clash songs, have one of my favorite artists of 2008 sing it, and have Diplo produce. GOLDEN.
She and Him – “You Really Got a Hold On Me” :: I love covers where the artists really make the song their own. Such is the case here. The Miracles version is an undisputed classic, and perhaps the most famous cover (The Beatles) is stylistically true. Yet here we have She & Him fitting the song into the context of the album’s laid back, alt-country-pop style. It sounds so much more desperate and haunting in this version. I love it. They also do a great laid back rendition of The Beatles’ “I Should Have Known Better.”
Disappointments of the Year:
Guns n Roses – Chinese Democracy :: As Michael indicated, this may be an obvious choice. I guess this isn’t really a disappointment in that it met my very low expectations.
Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple
We are Scientists – Brain Thrust Mastery
Best Live Show of the Year:
Chromeo: 9:30 Club, Washington DC 10/4/08 :: This what immediately came to mind when prompted for the best show of the year. Chromeo’s 2007 release Fancy Footwork was one of my favorites last year, and I knew I had to catch them live. They were great – performances were spot on, they were as cheeky and entertaining as you’d expect, and played the entire album. See my full review here.
Other shows of note:
Jamie Lidell Abbey Pub, Chicago 6/4/08
CSS – 9:30 Club, DC 12/20 [review forthcoming!]Best New (to me) Artist:
The Mighty Hannibal ::Late in the summer, I was introduced to King Khan and the Shrines, a tongue-in-cheek garage band. I saw an interview where they hung out with The Mighty Hannibal, of whom I’d never heard. But I was curious, given my penchant for 1960s soul. I heard the album Hannibalism! and fell in love with it immediately.
The Birds :: No, that’s not a typo. The Birds were the first band Ronnie Wood recorded with. Great British garage/beat rock.
Bonde do Role :: More recent, a great Brazilian electro-funk outfit.
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Here’s looking to a funky 2009, Ickies!Derek White & the Monophobics
Some time last year, I got a random MySpace message asking me to check out Derek White’s music page. Since then, I’ve been anticipating this album’s release, and I’m not disappointed. They’ve also employed a great distribution model: starting on March 1st, you can download the album via their website for $9.99; purchase of the mp3 automatically gets you a hard copy of the disc when it’s ready next month. So you get the immediacy of digital music, with the promise of a little something to wiggle into your music shelf between Barry White and the White Stripes. The download also has a handful of tracks that didn’t make the cut for the disc. Score!
Derek White and the Monophobics are a four piece hailing from my hometown of Pittsburgh, and present a very polished, pop-oriented approach to their songwriting (I’m thinking Beach Boys). They’re concise, catchy, well-produced and exquisitely executed. Echoes of Brian Wilson are all over the place here. This song is a little edgier than the others, but is also my favorite from the album (and the first track that I heard on their myspace page all those months ago. Check it out:
Derek White & the Monophobics – “Mean Tambourine”
Derek White and the Monophobics (MySpace)
Purchase the self-titled albumThe Bird and the Bee
Ickmusic contributor the Great Gonzo returns! – Pete
Hello, Ickies. I know I’ve been pretty quiet, sorry about that. Last semester was a doozy, and things have been hectic over the holidays. But I’ve returned!
Today, I give you The Bird and the Bee out of L.A. I first came across this group in late 2006 when I heard their EP again and again and again and again. The EP contained 4 tracks, three of which were slated for their upcoming full length, the fourth a Peaches remix of “Fucking Boyfriend.” I was drawn into the band’s unique sound. Laid back, yet poppy. Indie-ish, yet polished. And a hint of jazz (they are, after all, on Blue Note).
The male component of the duo is Greg Kurstin, formerly of Geggy Tah. Yes, *that* Geggy Tah. But don’t let that turn you off. I promise, The Bird and the Bee are much more sophisticated than their 1996 hit, “Whoever You Are.” The female lead is Inara George, an aspiring actress turned musician.
The group’s 2007 self-titled full length is simply splendid. I’m generally horrible at description, so let’s let the band speak for themselves, eh?
The Bird and the Bee – “Again and Again” from their self-titled full length
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=xDlEXQaMBpk 336 278]
Later in 2007, the band released an EP, Please Clap Your Hands
. The EP carries 5 brand-spankin’ new tracks, all of which are in much the same vein as the self titled album. A particular highlight for me however, is their take on the Bee Gees’ “How Deep is Your Love.” I’ve always liked the song, but this version made me melt.
The Bird and the Bee – “How Deep Is Your Love” from Please Clap Your Hands EP
And it looks like they’re planning another release for 2008. Do these folks sleep?
Buy The Bird and the Bee music at the Amazon mp3 store
The Bird and the Bee (MySpace)
The Bird and the Bee (Official Site)Review: Debbie Harry’s ‘Necessary Evil’
Gonzo takes the wheel for a review of Debbie Harry’s new album. – Pete….
(2007, Five Seven Music)
I have to begin by admitting two things. First, I’m a big Blondie fan. I have all of their albums on vinyl, minus the contract-filling Hunter. I’ve often said that New York City in the mid-late 1970s is my favorite music ‘scene’ of all time. Along with the Talking Heads, Patti Smith, The Shirts, Television and the Ramones, Blondie is one reason for my view. Secondly, I confess that I haven’t followed Debbie Harry’s solo career with any level of depth. That said, I was intrigued when given the opportunity to review Harry’s latest solo disc, Necessary Evil.
The album’s opening tracks set the tone for the rest of the album. In general, the songs on Necessary Evil retain Allen’s roots in the new wave and pop music of the late 1970s/early 1980s. Whether this is conscious or not, this aspect of Harry’s most recent work fits in well with the current trend of retro-new wave acts such as The Killers. Yet in addition to recalling Harry’s most well known work with Blondie, the album combines this aesthetic with contemporary conventions of indie rock and electro dance music. The result is admittedly not anything to write home about. While Harry is able to bridge the past with the present, the product of this marriage is sadly not particularly unique or groundbreaking. Still, that’s not to say that the songs are without merit.
However, the failure of the album is its lack of brevity. At 17 tracks, the disc gets to be a bit tedious. While I doubt that it would create a landmark album, trimming some of the fat on Necessary Evil could at the very least have led to a more solid and enjoyable disc.
In short, Necessary Evil is enjoyable for what it is. It isn’t earth-shattering, but it shows that Harry has maintained her competence in form and execution. Overall, I give it a solid ‘C’ grade.
Necessary Evil hits the shelves on 9/17 in the US.
Debbie Harry – Official Website
Debbie Harry on Myspace (featuring songs from the upcoming album)This is Ryan Shaw
Hello friends, your friendly neighborhood Gonzo here, checking in with some music for your soul.
Nearly a month ago, a friend whom is well aware of my tastes asked me if I’d heard Ryan Shaw. He said that he’d heard him on an NPR feature, and proceeded to rave about Shaw’s voice. As a testament, he informed me that Shaw opens his concerts with an a capella excerpt from the Sam Cooke classic, “A Change is Gonna Come.” Needless to say, I was intrigued. That day I went to Shaw’s MySpace page, and liked what I heard. His voice is incredibly strong, and it’s clear to see why he takes to performing Sam Cooke tunes. I finally got around to hearing the album, and I have to say, I’m pleased.
This isn’t neosoul, it’s an unabashed throwback to the golden era of soul in the 1960s. The album is a mixed bag of originals and covers, including Motown, Ashford and Simpson, Wilson Pickett and more. The disc is definitely worth picking up for soul heads. I will admit that I await Shaw’s artistic development with trepidation. While This is Ryan Shaw is a great disc, I’m not sure how long he can sustain my interest with this particular flavor. I’m reminded of how much I loved Jurassic 5’s first two releases, so explicitly throwing back to old school hip hop a la Sugarhill Records. Yet they failed to progress past that point, and I lost interest by their third album. Hopefully Shaw doesn’t meet the same fate, but develops more of his own compositions and style, and builds upon rather than simply recaptures classic soul music. In the meantime, enjoy his rendition of “I’ll Be Satisfied,” and mosey on over to his Myspace page for more.
Buy This Is Ryan Shaw
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Ryan Shaw’s homepage
Ryan Shaw on Myspace…and the inevitable shameless plug: Gonzo’s Music-O-Rama. Peace!
Dizzee
Hello friends, Gonzo here. You may remember me from other blogs such as Gonzo’s Music-O-Rama. Pete has generously invited me to chime in on Ick Music when the mood strikes, and today we have the first of such posts.
Over the holidays this past year, I got to visit with a friend of mine from high school that I hadn’t seen in years. We were in a few bands together, and we are equally geeky about music, but he never ceases to enlighten me to things that miss my radar. I asked him what he’d been listening to, and he said “Grime.” I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. I asked him to send me a lists of artists to check out, which he never did (he’s quite an elusive fellow). At any rate, it’s something I’ve tried to explore a bit on my own.
I’d heard the name Dizzee Rascal thrown around a bit – its not a name one easily forgets. I recently heard his first two albums, and was curious when I heard that the third, Maths and English would drop in early June. Getting my grubby little paws on it, the album has been in heavy rotation. The rhythmic structure of the songs is interesting and also refreshing in light of the corporate rap music that has dominated the charts for so long. The album is definitely in the running for my top picks of 2007 thus far. I highly recommend checking it out.
Here’s one of my favorite tracks from the album, “Bubbles.”
Have a good week all, I’ll be back soon.
Dizzee on MySpace
Dizzee’s Official SiteCheck out Maths + English on
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