Japan’s biggest pop star released two albums this year, (miss)understood in the beginning, and Secret in November—her 8th studio album to date. The former had some bonafide classics (“Step You,” “Ladies Night”), yet, in a year crowded with other hot young J-Pop prospects ready to edge her out, she topped it with this one. None of that probably means anything to 90% of this blog’s readership, but know this: if you’re in any way a fan of pop—this is vital listening for you. Hamasaki’s sometimes paper-thin, sometimes-more-powerful-than-a-bulldozer voice is her real weapon, and backed by the mighty production of her Avex label, she absolutely kills it on every track. “Until That Day” is pure powerpop perfection. And since you probably haven’t heard it, I’ll be nice and offer a link to the mp3.
14. dj shadow / T H E / O U T S I D E R
When Jay-Z dropped his much-anticipated Kingdom Come, listeners were visibly perplexed and disillusioned by the uncharacteristic-ness of it all. Here, Jay works with Chris Martin (on the new agey ballad called, for some odd metaphorical reason, “Beach Chair”) and later name drops him as a seeming status symbol. He also chants about amateur strippers/pole dancers on a horrendously messy Neptunes/Usher collab, and embarrasses himself further with a campy Beyonce duet. All of this, especially fan reactions, reminded me a lot of the reception DJ Shadow’s the Outsider received earlier on in the year (see, I was going somewhere with all that Jay-Z crap!). Shadow, like Hov, disappointed many by doing what no one wanted him to. Both records work for me (Kingdom Come is somewhere in my top 25, for what it’s worth) because of this, and despite it. The Outsider was a shock to the system when it arrived, no doubt, but if you can get past that—it’s pretty damn good. No, it’s not Endtroducing..., but since we already have one of those (one and a half counting Private Press), let’s give it a rest, kay?
13. the knife / S I L E N T / S H O U T
I hopped on the Knife boat late in the game (literally, like, this month) and already I can recognize that the slobbering praise they’ve been awarded by critics left and right was well-founded. Silent Shout is a gorgeously creepy cascade of sounds; it genuinely seems to set up shop in your subconscious, and before you know it, you’ll be hooked. The very Bjork-esque “Marble House” is my favorite thus far, with its soaring poetry-lyrics (it seems like a love song, but it’s really anyone’s guess) that are heavily indebted to the delightful accents of brother-sister duo Olof and Karin, which really take them up a few notches. Their production and massive array of techno blips, chimes, and wails are no slouch either. For an album that shot so far up my list in only a few weeks, I should probably be worried if it will hold up over time. But, I’m really, really not.
12. lily allen / M Y / F I R S T / M I X T A P E
Her demos deserved all the praise they got, and Alright Still was kind of a flop for everyone who had already heard them (given she excluded the two best tracks “Sunday Morning,” and “Cheryl Tweedy” while making room for some garbage ones, like “Take What You Take”). But the real Lily Allen milestone should have been, and for me is, her contribution to the mixtape scene. She innocently titled it her First, and snarkily proved it to be more awesome than ones from DJs who’d already pumped out dozens. Cutting her own sunny pop tunes in with the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Ludacris, and even Rod Stewart—she shines with minimalism and excellent song choice. This is also why I was so under whelmed (to the point of growing to dislike it, quite a lot) with her second mixtape offering, in which she gives us way too many gunshots, sirens, and vintage-villain maniacal laughter. Over and over. Between every song. Skip that, and replay this until she gives us something on par with it. It’s gotta happen eventually, or we’re all going to look like a bunch of asses.
11. the mountain goats / G E T / L O N E L Y
The perfect album to put on if you’re depressed, and one not to avoid even if you’re emotionally peachy keen. I’m not usually such a fan of sad-grown-man music, but John Darnielle takes care of half of that by coming across as a sad-childlike-sympathetic-man. Every statement he makes rings achingly true, too; the lyrics are certainly the real meat here. It’s “singer/songwriter” in nature, make no mistake, but the plinking piano and percussion his voice wraps itself around is just as essential to the final product as anything else. Get Lonely is, in case you didn’t catch it, desperately depressing heartbreak on a disc. In a good way.
10. t.i. / K I N G
T.I. single-handedly blew my mind with “What You Know,” so much so that any other ’06 single (including the fantastic, inexhaustible runner-up “Promiscuous”) was rendered immediately inferior. The triumphant synth pulsing, not beneath but with, T.I.’s equally-triumphant rapping resulted in a song that even my “I only buy nature sound CDs” mother could recognize as awesome. The rest of his material, released on King, could never match that—but it still managed to kick a lot of ass. “You Know Who,” with its title sounding like the flipside of the lead-off single, has one of the most downright royal horn beats since “Crazy in Love,” and “Top Back” is close behind as a contender for the same title. T.I.’s toweringly intimidating image couldn’t even be lessened by his turn as a well-meaning straight-arrow in the flick ATL, and it was solidified even more by his guest spot on JT’s “My Love,” where he warns “forget your face, I swear I will” and insists that “me and your boyfriend / we ain’t no tie.” So, basically, if he wants to be King—he can, and will be.
09. the game / T H E / D O C T O R ' S / A D V O C A T E
There's a lot to be learned about the exiled G-Unit member, from listening to the Doctor's Advocate. For instance, he "can't be fucked like a lesbian" and he knows of a girl "named Superhead" Jay-Z used to get with. Not to mention the countless other quotable couplets (his unintentional humor is only rivaled by Nas ["like Hugh Grant in 8 1/2 Weeks"?]) found here. On the first few spins, I wasn’t feeling Advocate so much, even with liking the single “It’s Okay (One Blood).” It wasn’t until I had it on a few times while accomplishing tasks (read: not paying attention) that it started to sink in. Eventually, it hit me: this record is really great. Perhaps it was the lack of speaker busting beats that first threw me off. The sound is certainly smoother, lighter; the Game's aggressive nature only 'shines' through lyrically. And that, actually, makes for a pretty fascinating contrast. He’s got charm in spades, and I think now I want to buy those sneakers he designed.
08. cat power / T H E / G R E A T E S T
The always-reliable (in studio, not so much in any other capacity...) Chan Marshall had a rough year—or a rough better half of the decade—but recently sobered up, apparently for good. That’s great, and we’re all happy for her, but selfishly I wonder if that will effect the raw, off-the-wall miserable brilliance of her music. The Greatest is as sad as ever a Cat Power record were, but it’s also mature, less crazy, less broken. It’s pristinely crafted and glittering; with authentically pop-structured songs. There’s not a toss-out track on here, and at the same time, few really stand out. The minute I think I have a favorite, I remember how much I like that other one—and so forth. It won’t surpass Moon Pix or You Are Free for my money, but it’s far (ahem) greater a disc than the flawlessness contradicts.
07. clipse / H E L L / H A T H / N O / F U R Y
Maybe the title was prophetic, because Clipse tore up critical end-year lists all over the place after having their album out for only a month. No one saw it coming, but the fiery remarkableness is kinda hard to deny. They are one of the few acts to have beats and rapping that are equally uber-impressive. Oh, screw it, I admitted to loving it just like everyone else, popped it in my top ten—and I don’t think anything else needs to be said. It just rocks.
06. asobi seksu / C I T R U S
For a band named what translates to “Playful Sex,” Asobi Seksu makes some unexpectedly somber music. Yes, it’s shoegaze, yes, it’s dreamy, yes, it’s pretty. It’s also incredibly touching, with singer Yuki’s earnest—at times slightly cracking—vocals, and lines like “I’d do anything if just to make her stay.” Possibly one of the most romantic releases I’ve clung to recently, for reasons both personal and obvious. Others seems to be picking up on the band lately, too, thanks to Citrus. That’s a positive thing, of course, but I’m still a little nervous over what might happen if Sofia Coppola (or worse, Zach Braff) gets ahold of it.
05. justin timberlake / F U T U R E S E X / L O V E S O U N D S
Our favorite ex-Mouseketeer (oh, c’mon, like there’s any real competition left) may be maturing "musically," but he doesn't seem to be in any other areas. And we love him for it. With the industrious Timbaland in tow for Futuresex / Lovesounds, Justin comes across as a dancefloor hopping lothario; that almost-innocent choir boyish voice trapped in a sleazy, pickup line-uttering throat. He manages to competently stand in as the face of our current, dance addicted, sex obsessed, impatiently self-involved culture. With beats so sickeningly head-bob-inducing they’re hard to believe, and lyrics largely about hooking up with random hotties, this disc provides the perfect soundtrack for those who wish their lives were just a little trashier—and, to be fair, those whose lives already are.
04. css / C A N S E I / D E / S E R / S E X Y
Speaking of sleaze, CSS does it in a cuter (yet filthier), more cut-and-paste way. A gaggle of Brazilian hipsters (all female save for a guy [or two?]) spitting distinctly American pop culture references at us, to the electronica pulse of Casio keyboards and reverb peddles. “Art Bitch” may or may not be a Karen O parody, “Meeting Paris Hilton,” and “I Wanna Be Your J.Lo” (not on the album) are pretty overt, and “Let’s Make Love and Listen Death from Above” makes an effective come-hither line out of a mediocre band. Whether they’ll be able to follow this up, without burning themselves out on alcohol and one-night-stands on tour (I hear they’re badass live), is yet to be seen. But this is already an art-pop staple.
03. tom waits / O R P H A N S: / B R A W L E R S, / B A W L E R S, / A N D / B A S T A R D S
Hearing the three mood-pieces that make up Orphans is something akin to taking a journey through a familiar yet entirely foreign dream-place. Or possibly what it would be like to peer through a dusty window and watch your weird neighbor alone in his basement, sifting through relics from his past. Maybe reading a five-hundred-page novel authored by an ex-college professor who went insane some years before writing it. This is to say, yep, Tom’s back and at his utter best. A monster of a collection, that only seems to get more and more extraordinary as I hit repeat.
02. diplo / mad decent / W O R L D W I D E / R A D I O
In what may have began as a gimmick to generate buzz for his fledging label, Diplo & co launched Mad Decent Worldwide Radio: a monthly installment of podcasts, mixed by Diplo and usually featuring Mad Decent artists (currently that would be all of Bonde Do Role and DJ Baqstarr). Essentially, these are like mini Live in Montreals, or Favela on Blasts. So, genre-bending, booty-shaking genius delivered right to your iTunes library, free of charge. Yeah, I thought it was pretty awesome too. Editions #2 (that Nirvana sample!) and #4 (Eiffel 65’s “Blue” makes an appearance) are still the finest examples—and with more coming every so often, I wouldn’t rule out the prospect of this series placing again on my hypothetical ’07 list.
01. yeah yeah yeahs / S H O W / Y O U R / B O N E S
It’s really very perplexing how the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who were, if you recall, hyped beyond control when they started out, were so widely ignored after popping out their best work yet. Maybe the big O isn’t crazy enough (anymore) for folks, or maybe they felt a second album was too soon for the maturation process. Personally, I'm stumped. Every song on here is, at the risk of sounding fangirlish, killer. Not the old riot-grrl-and-two-guys “killer,” but valid, subdued all-talent-minimal-flash “killer.” Try as I might to pinpoint what didn’t do it for almost everyone else with Show Your Bones, the fact is, things get overlooked when they shouldn’t, and I’m used to that (I’m nearly alone among people in my daily life who even know what J-Pop is). All that matters is how lovely, moving, and ear-pleasing an album it is—one that I’ve been spinning since March, and will without a doubt continue to for months to come. YYYs, they don’t love you like we love you.
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