My favorite tracks of 2008-albums to follow soon. Hard to place these in order and to pick just a handful of songs as 2008 was a good year in music. Love to hear everyones thoughts. I know that this list is lacking some big names and is light on indie records, but these are the songs that fit into the box of music that I enjoy.
1. Kanye West "Paranoid" - Large amounts of Kanye detrators out there but love the sound of this track.
2. TV on the Radio "Crying" - My favorite rock song of 2oo8.
3. Hercules and Love Affair "Blind" - Disco is alive in 2008. Awesome debut record and this is the best track on the record.
3. Santogold "Shove It" - Guess the album was official in 2008. This is my favorite song on a great record.
4. Q-Tip "Gettin Up" - If it wasnt for my fanatical love for "Paranoid" this would be my favorite hip hop track of 2008.
5. Estelle "Come on Over" - Damn, so good.
6. John Legend feat. Andre 3000 "Green Light" - Best pop/R&B track of 2008. How can you not want to dance when you hear this? Andre 3000 could rap for days and it would be cool with me.
7. Raphael Saadiq "Big Easy" - Blast from the past. Is it 1969? Vintage stuff here done perfectly.
8. Looptroop Rockers "The Building" - Who knew swedes could make such fantastic hip hop?
9. Air France "Collapsing At Your Doorstep" - Amazing, sweeping electronic track. "Sort of like a dream...no better."
10. Jamie Lidell - "Another Day" - Many mock him and his soul revival sound. I am not one of those people.
11. The Knux "Bang Bang!" - Ohh damn this is fun.
12. Lindstrom "Where You Go I Go Too" - Best song off the best record of 2008.
13. Ratatat "Mirando" - Best track off a great record. I guess if they arent mashing up hip hop tracks people forget about them.
14. The Cool Kids "What Up Man" - Chicago is the center of the hip hop world in 2008.
15. Kidz in the Hall "Work To Do" - Best political related jam and the best of a host of great Obama related music (sorry Cocoa Tea your track was my 2nd favorite).
16. Black Milk "Give the Drummer Some"
photo by serhio.
OTHER LISTS:
Pitchfork 2008 Albums of the Year: Individual Lists
S/FJ Best of 2008
Electornic cover of the legendary Wham track, "Last Christmas." This track is from DJ Muranao from Nagoya, Japan. She is also a member of the electro unit named I'm So Look You. Check out the track and have a good day after.
Mp3: Wham - "Last Christmas" (I'm So Look You Remix) (zshare)
Great Christmas track thanks to Stones Throw and Now-Again records. Here is a record that Cut Chemist found by Korean group HE5. Track is from 1969. Check it out.
Mp3: HE5 - "Merry Christmas Psychdelic Sound"
Read more here.
Great remix of the Santogold's "Lights Out." Santi White was born in 1976 in Philly and jumped on the music scene in a big way with her self titled record. This remix is done by the French outfit Tepr (who you might know from their remixes of Yelle or Kid Sister). Check out the track.
Buy: Get the record here.
One of my favorite tracks of 2008 (entire list coming soonish). Video isn't all that good but track is so good. Get the self entitled record if you haven't. Awesome disco type stuff.
With one of the best hip hop albums off 2008 in TRONIC, innovator producer/emcee Black Milk has teamed up with Colin Monroe on a real nice cut called "Break Off." Colin Munroe, first came up thanks to YouTube and now he has joined forces with Black Milk on his latest mixtape The Unsung Hero. Check out the track. ALSO check out a track of Black Milk's record.
Mp3: Black Milk - "Bounce"
Mp3: Colin Munroe feat. Saukrates and Black Milk - "Break Off"
photo by Hannes M.
Easily one of the best records of 2008, Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours is pop done at its very best. "Feel that Love," "Far Away," and of course "Hearts on Fire" could carry any record yet on thier second studio album they all appear on one record. "Far Away" is the latest to get the single treatment and has some great remixes from Hercules and Love Affair and Aeroplane along with an unreleased track. Check out the Aeroplane remix.
Buy: Get the single here.
photo by spinal_faun.
Had not heard this track until I was purchased the Pocket Piano 12". Guess the track was on the Ed Bangers Volume III record. Missed it. Anyways it gets the Brodinski treatment with fantastic remix. Mehdi up to his old tricks of creating fantastic electro hip hop sound. Check it out.
Mp3: DJ Mehdi - "Pocket Piano" (Brodinski Remix) (zshare)
Filastine creates music between electronic, dubstep, hip hop and even jungle. XLR8R had this to say about his latest record, "(its) filled with both with jagged edges and moments of sad sweetness. Filastine is sure to win fans across multiple scenes."
I'd never heard of him untill this record and once you check out some tracks you'll be interested in checking out more.
Mp3: Filastine feat. Rabah - "Btalla"
Get Dirty Bomb here.
Sound Opinions is a great show that aires on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio Fridays at 8 pm. The hosts are Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times and Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune. Its a nice entry into the "Best of" Month which is Blogger's December. Their lists certainly had some suprises with both of them choosing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! as the best album of the year.
Check out their entire lists on their respective blogs.
Link: Greg Kot’s 20 Best Albums of 2008
Link: Jim DeRogatis’ Best Albums of 2008
Overall its not that I don't agree that their choices were great records but the order of importance seems very wrong. Not placing Dear Science in his top 10 is a huge oversight by Mr. DeRogatis. Kot's list was certainly more along what I invisioned as the best of 2008. My list as I am sure everyone is looking forward to is coming soon.
My last Kanye West remix was mysteriously taken down without warning or notice. Thanks Big Brother Google. Maybe this post will last a bit longer. Its from my friends over at Flagrant Fowl records.
Be sure to grab this track. Cousin Cole said that he "changed the drum loop, brought up the acid lines, did a new arrangement and reduced the vocals to just a few snippets." Check out the "Love Lockdown" remix he did at his myspace. Cole and his fellow labelmate Pocketknife know how to make a great remix. Check it out.
If you haven't checked out T*ttsworth's jam "WTF" featuring Chicago's ownKid Sister and Pase Rock you need to. If you have here is a great spin on that track thanks to fellow blogger and AG friend Eli Escobar. Not safe for work listening but certainly safe for that Friday/Saturday dance party. Check out the jam.
Mp3: T*ttsworth - "WTF" (Eli Escobar)
Get yourself the whole deal over at iTunes.
photo by DAKOTAFINE.
Looking forward to the week ahead. Big one for me in Chicago. Check out the lineup.
Reggae Friday returns after a very long hiatus to discuss one of the best records of 2008. The Bug also known as Kevin Martin is a UK-based producer, musician and journalist. He has been making music for two decades. His work spans multiple genres from industrial to hip hop to dub and dubstep. It is his work with dubstep that brings him here to Reggae Friday. His work with Anti-Pop Consortium, DJ Vadim and El-P and specifically is work under the moniker The Bug. The Bug focuses on dancehall, grime and hip hop as inspirations. His first album released in 1997 was way under my radar. I was a junior in High School and probably listening to Mase and Puff Daddy at the time. His second album Pressure was released in 2003 and I finally found out about him with his 2008 record London Zoo released on Ninja Tune in August.
On this fantastic record Martin creates the deep dubstep clank and grind production that serves as the background to a host of talented MCs and singers. Check out a track and don't forget to pick up the record.
Mp3: The Bug feat. Tippa Irie – "Angry"
Upcoming product from John Barnes, better known as Blu, one of my favorite emcees out there. Check it out. Keys to the City out December 9th. Here Blu the "west coast bubble" that makes up LA's inclusive hip hop/jazz/rock/soul scene and highlights the musical fusion Cali's next movement of artists brings to hip hop.
Recieved an email from an dude from Kyoto the other day introducing his group called Lalory. I am always humbled that people outside of my wife, mother and two poodles read my blog, let alone people in countries I have yet to even visit. He said "please introduce our unit on your blogs" so here they are.
Mp3: Digitalism - "Taken Away" (Lalory's Modern Romance Mix)
Mp3: Lalory - "Blue Eyed Soul"
Hear more here.
Home Video is David Gross and Collin Ruffino. Their moody, understated synth-rock took center stage when they released No Certain Night or Morning in 2006.
Their latest EP, It Will Be Ok builds on this theme. The duo excells at creating electronic beatscapes and with their subdued vocals sounds a bit like Radiohead if I could be so bold.
Mp3: Home Video - "I Can Make You Feel It"
Buy: Pick up It Will Be OK here.
Excited to tell you all about soul singer Mayer Hawthorne who has a new podcast out on Stones Throw. Hawthorne's track, "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out” was featured on the blog awhile back. His next single is “Maybe So, Maybe No” coming in 2009. Check out the podcast ASAP.
