Musically speaking, 2008 was sort of a middling year for me. It certainly wasn’t without ANY albums that were pleasing to my ear, but going through my mental catalog of those 366 days didn’t yield the results of the past few years; while I could easily identify albums and artists I enjoyed, I was hard pressed to come up with my usual list of records that RULED MY WORLD. As a result, I’ve narrowed my list down to ten entries (down from the usual 20). And while there were other albums not included here that held my attention during the Year of the Rat, I couldn’t necessarily put my official stamp on them as ‘Best Albums’.
‘But Sean,’ you may be protesting with a bit too much bass in your voice, ‘it’s not the end of the year anymore; we’re almost a month into 2009 already. What gives?’ And to that I say, ‘SIT YOUR FIVE DOLLAR ASS DOWN BEFORE I MAKE CHANGE.’ This was a list that was so meticulously crafted, so plentiful with insightful analysis, and so thoughtfully arranged that y’all weren’t READY for it in the ’08…I HAD to push it back for you non-believers…*
*Ok, the truth of the matter is that I got pretty busy towards the end of December and kept putting it off. Then my laptop crashed. And then it crashed again. And then it crashed AGAIN. I’m sorry for the delay, and I promise that this won’t happen next year…maybe.
(in order of release):
1) Ebu Gogo- Worlds (January 6)
Every so often, a band launches a kamikaze attack from out of nowhere, slaps the shit out of you, and then slips back under the radar. Imagine my surprise when I dropped by my local coffee house one evening to discover this Rhode Island ‘action/adventure’ instrumental trio absolutely OBLITERATING the room with their electro-math-rock acrobatics. Powered by the eclectic genius of Gavin Castleton (and two of his bandmates from prog-rock group Gruvis Malt), the music on Worlds is technically jaw dropping, mesmerizing, and bursting at the seams with energy. Never have I encountered a band whose music was so equally cerebral, visceral, and just plain fun.
2) MGMT- Oracular Spectacular (January 22)
Psychedelic undertones + electro-pop instrumentation + a dash of tongue-in-cheek posturing + art-rock aesthetic + stellar production from Dave Fridmann + songwriting that’s both brainy and populist + pretty much THE melody of 2008 (that would be “Kids,” folks) = a pretty awesome album. These guys’ music could be heard pretty much everywhere last year, and it’s easy to understand why; not bad for what essentially started as a joke project. Let’s hope that they can keep it going now that there are more people that are in on the gag.
3) Erykah Badu- New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War (February 26)
A year ago, I’d have been quick to call 2000’s Mama’s Gun Erykah Badu’s ‘important album,’ but she managed to up the ante on the first of her intended trilogy of records for 2008-2009. The comparisons to Sly Stone’s There’s A Riot Going On aren’t without merit – this is an edgy, experimental roller coaster ride of an record that’s oozing with tension, soul, and unabashed disregard for any expectations that she’d be forced to bear the burden of carrying the ‘neo-soul’ torch. There are very few ARTISTS in modern R&B/soul, but Erykah Badu is one of them.
4) Kaki King- Dreaming of Revenge (March 4)
Though I still don’t think that she’s made an album that truly lives up to her potential, guitar virtuoso/songwriter Kaki King is getting closer and closer to finding a balance for all of her strengths as an artist. I’m not the biggest fan of when she sings, which does happen on a good chunk of this record, but her absolutely gorgeous instrumental contributions more than make up for it. She’s always had a knack for making music that sounded delicate and powerful at the same time, and the expansion of her band’s instrumentation definitely helps her cause. But when it comes down to it, what I love most about her is that she can play her instrument in a way that’s never flashy and is really unlike any other popular guitarist out there.
5) Flying Lotus- Los Angeles (June 10)
While hip hop heads squabble with one another trying to decide who will lead the pack amongst the new generation of beatmakers, late-night Adult Swim fanatics already know the score –his name is Flying Lotus. Many have argued that his 1983 LP is better, but the hazy, ambience of his Warp Records debut (and the subsequent trilogy of L.A. EPs released soon after) makes it clear that this guy really is thinking outside of the box when it comes to his craft. This record sounds like what I imagine it’d be like to be lost on a beach at midnight, on Mars, stoned – the sloppy, synth-laden raw funk completely lulls you into a constant, zoned out head nod that’s hard not to constantly revisit.
6) Raphael Saadiq- The Way I See It (September 16)
Though he’s got quite a hefty discography already under his belt, The Way I See It sounds like the record that Raphael Saadiq was born to make. Without having to worry about maintaining the neo-soul/post-hip hop R&B format that’s essentially tainted a large percentage of today’s popular music (see also: the plight of Ms. Badu), the multi-instrumentalist/singer/producer is able to apply his keen songwriting chops to the warm analog sounds of classic Motown. Perhaps picking up where Amy Winehouse left off with last year’s Back to Black, the songs here invoke golden age R&B/soul without coming across as a revivalist hack-job. Even a grossly out-of-place cameo from Jay-Z (thankfully tacked on to the end of the album as a bonus remix) isn’t enough to derail this affair; this is a record that truly deserves to be called ‘instant vintage.’
7) Dungen- 4 (September 30)
This band is (almost) not fun for me to listen to, because doing so always results in me racking my brain with questions that I just can’t explain: How does this sound like some lost psychedelic record from the ‘60s? How can one band switch so effortlessly from free jazz to prog-rock to retro-esque folk (sometimes even within the same song)? Why am I singing along to these songs at the top of my lungs in a language that I don’t understand one word of? Gustav Ejstes and the boys continue to astound me with their latest: it’s beautiful, it’s complex, it tickles my brain, and it rocks my face off.
8) Foreign Exchange- Leave it All Behind (October 14)
It’s commendable when an artist branches outside of their usual style, but it’s even more notable when they pull it off as seamlessly as Phonte Coleman’s turn as full-fledged singer on the second album from Foreign Exchange. While Coleman’s vocal chops have been alluded to in his work with underground hip hop group Little Brother, this isn’t an instance of a rapper’s ambition clearly extending beyond his ability (hi, Kanye). The man can SAING. It probably helps that he’s backed by absolutely beautiful music from Nicolay, producer/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire; if anybody is truly an heir to the dream-like, smoothed-out J. Dilla style of beatmaking, it’s him. For two artists coming from a genre that isn’t exactly known for its maturity, this is a refreshingly ‘adult’ record that can get play from Saturday night all the way to Sunday afternoon.
9) Q-Tip- The Renaissance (November 4)
It may not have been immortalized in a song, but we all had dejectedly accepted Industry rule # 4081: Q-Tip’s second solo record was never going to see an official release. After all, since the former A Tribe Called Quest frontman’s only other solo album (1999’s Amplified), he’d seen three separate projects get shelved as he bounced around in record label limbo. But don’t expect to find any bitter feelings on The Reinassance; this is a breezy, bubbly collection of songs that harkens back to the vibe of Tribe’s classic albums. Heightened by tastefully used live instrumentation, the ease at which Tip weaves together songs is only what you’d expect from someone who’s been making hip hop records nearly all his life. More than just an emcee, producer, or even a cultural icon, the man is an artist, and this is truly his renaissance.
10) Wale- The Mixtape About Nothing (May 30)/Atmosphere- Strictly Leakage
Do mixtapes count as albums? In most cases, I tend to say no. But the truth of the matter is that both of these free releases spent enough time on my playlist last year to warrant a spot on this list.
As a fan of both Seinfeld and witty, thematic hip hop songs, how could I NOT like Wale’s Mixtape About Nothing? Just like the show from which it appropriates its title, this collection of tracks is feigning modesty with its claim to lack substance: this is a mixtape about EVERYTHING that’s going on in hip hop culture (ugh, did I just actually use that term), and it’s done so by a narrator who isn’t afraid to take chances, speak his mind, and most importantly of all, have fun while doing so. Plus, the dude got a drop from Julia Louis-Dreyfus – that’s a lot cooler than tapping Lil’ Wayne for a collaboration (though he shows up here, too). Here’s hoping that Wale is able to maintain this streak on his Interscope debut (and HERE’S hoping that that actually comes out at some point this year).
While Atmosphere’s ‘big’ release in 2008 was their When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold LP, this compilation of old-school flavored tunes is superior simply because it doesn’t have to carry the burden of making any kind of bold statement; it’s just party music that never has to dumb down to move the crowd. Slug is an emcee who favors simplicity over verbal gymnastics these days, but his vivid descriptions and storytelling are what kept me hitting the rewind button, while producer Ant is probably one of the most underrated beatmakers of his time. If more hip hop artists are able to find the balance of fun and importance that both Wale and Atmosphere put into these two releases, rap music will be a lot more interesting to listen to in 2009.
And there you have it. As always, I encourage any kind of feedback, discussion, argument, or insight as to what made YOUR list, so drop a comment as you see fit.
