ONE LAST ROUND

This is (probably) going to be the last post I (O.W.) am going to do on M-J-5 for the time being, bringing to a close a rather crazy 5 day period where it was all MJ, all the time.

1) I just recorded this in the morning: The Soul Sides Kitchen-Cast w/ Ann Powers. Besides being a good friend, Ann also happens to be chief pop critic at the L.A. Times and I invited her over to talk about MJ's musical and cultural legacy in my kitchen (for the record, my green room provides Orangina and mixed nuts).

Here's the podcast in streaming form or you can download it here.


2) Murphy's Law and I recorded our Boogaloo[la] set from last Thursday which includes a 2 hour opening set that includes a good deal of lesser known J5 and MJ covers/remixes/songs. Then there was our 2 hour MJ5 set which slammed down all the "best ofs" into a party-smashing mix. You can download both:

Pre-Tribute set

Tribute set
(Just remember this was recorded live!)

3) For those Poplicks readers who don't read my other blog Soul Sides (and shame on you for not), I put together a long post on some of my favorite, off-the-beat-it, I mean, beaten path MJ/J5 songs, including a 50 minute mix of those songs I cover.


P.S.: I've been trying to figure out why I've been so compelled to stay on story over the last five days and it's certainly not out of the tabloid fascination that will only grow (and get uglier) in the weeks to come. It's the music, always the music, that keeps drawing me back in and it finally dawned on me this morning that while MJ certainly wasn't the first pop artist I heard in my lifetime, he was so utterly everywhere at my entry into the pop world that everything I love about music, about its emotional power and reach - MJ was a foremost influence. In other words, his music was one of the most important ways through which I learned to love music. And so, in paying tribute to that musical legacy, I'm really just trying to find a way to express an appreciation for a gift that, 30 years after I first shook my tush to "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," has continued to enrich my life on a daily basis. For that gift, I will remain forever thankful for MJ's music, regardless of what I may think of the man behind them.

--O.W.

MICHAEL JACKSON: NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE

From the time he was 10 Michael Jackson grew up in front of the world - first wonderfully, then weirdly, then woefully. His death at just 50 is hard to quite process. A tragedy? Yes but I'm not sure if it's any more tragic than the grotesque implosion of the rest of his life. I thought Hua had it exactly right: "Different versions of Michael Jackson had already died years ago."

A similar point was echoed by my friend Eliani while we were noshing at 2am at the Taco Zone truck, following a two hour MJ5 tribute set with Wil at the Shortstop. In between bites of carnitas, she proffered (I'm paraphrasing), "depending on when you grew up, each of us has a different Michael Jackson we knew and lost."

I was lucky to have grown up with one of the incadescent MJ incarnations. I probably heard a J5 song at some point in my '70s childhood but I don't actually remember hearing a Michael Jackson song until "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough" and the Off the Wall album came out. I was probably 7 or 8 then, just discovering the radio and top 40 and so my exposure to the expansive world of pop was indelibly marked by his presence.

It's been an interesting process, trying to decipher what exactly made him so great. After all, and this is not meant to be remotely disrespectful, but while Jackson clearly helped sell a gazillion records, if you actually parse down his musical impact, he's overshadowed by any number of peers. Some have had a greater, overall presence on pop music (James Brown + The Beatles), others have stayed in the mix as a creative force with more consistency (Dylan), and certainly, there's been other artists just as commercially successful but more adventurous (hello Prince!).

That said, consider how a pre-pubescent child managed to score success on par with Marvin Gaye at the turn of the '60s/'70s, then gradually pull away from the machine (or if you prefer, The Corporation) that fueled his success, only to emerge into a solo career that didn't simply improve on his achievements but elevated him into the greatest pop artist of his generation.

Child singers are simply not meant to survive into adulthood. I can only think of two similar examples: Stevie Wonder comes to mind but Stevie never had the kind of instant success that the Jackson 5 provided Michael (that said, Stevie's creativity is unparalleled, including by Michael). The other would be, interestingly, Celine Dion. Do with that what you will. However, those exceptions aside, pop music history is littered with the ghosts of child singers whose careers disappeared with the onset of puberty.

Whatever the truths of Jackson's childhood (idyllic vs. tortured), what you can say is that he had to shoulder the same kind of creative challenges under the Motown system that his colleagues - thrice his age - were also dealing with. Not only that but he was expected, long before he was old enough to even drive, to emote the kind of passion, longing and melancholy that usually only repeated adult heartache gives you access to. Emotionally, he had to grow up in his singing much faster than what his physical age would otherwise belie. It's common to talk about J5 songs like "ABC" being "filled with innocence" but if you listen over the group and Jackson's solo catalog from the 1970s, there's a lot less sunshine than you'd imagine. That he managed to drop iconic, hit records throughout most of that process (with the exception of a fallow period in the mid-'70s) is a testament to his talent/genius/luck/whatever you want to call it.

And therein, to me, lies both the triumph of his achievements but also the makings of his (and in a sense, our) tragedies. As Jeff Chang argued, "for that voice, he lost his childhood. Or more precisely, he gave it to us," which isn't quite like saying he died for our sins but I think part of what Jeff is suggesting is that if Michael wasn't blessed with such a magical presence, we may not have liked him so well. And if we didn't like him so well, maybe his life would have turned out more normal, less (self)-destructive. These "what if" scenarios are impossible to answer, of course. All we know is the Jackson we were given and if his life is to be read as a kind of sacrifice to our pleasure, at least we can honor that by celebrating his libations.

Consider too: Jackson was a once-in-a-lifetime musical (and of course, cultural) figure, the likes of which will almost certainly never be duplicated again (sorry Jonas Brothers). The pop landscape has shifted, irrevocably I feel, over the last 10-20 years and the ability for a singular figure to become a multi-generational crossover star seems practically impossible. Of course, it probably seemed impossible back in the '70s...until Michael did it.

I should add too: for all his foibles, scandals and just general surreality, I absolutely guarantee you that the music Jackson and his family left behind will only evolve to seem more sublime, enchanting and moving [1].

In lieu of a more organized/formal post, here's a rush job on tunes to listen to.


("Big Boy," an early, early J5 single on Steeltown)


("2 4 6 8." The numeric sequel to "ABC" recorded for the Jackson 5's second Motown LP.)


("Never Can Say Goodbye." Stone. Cold. Classic.)


("I Wanna Be Where You." Off of Jackson's solo debut, produced by Hal Davis and Willie Hutch.)


("I Can't Help It." Quiet storm at its best.)


("Butterflies." From his 2001 Invincible and one of the last great songs I heard from Jackson. Shout out to Floetry for the OG).



If you feel like it, here's me and Jay Smooth musing on MJ for The Sound of Young America, recorded earlier today.
The Sound of Young America


And I was also briefly on Michael Barnes' tribute show on KCRW.


[1] This presumes there isn't some smoking gun evidence which comes out posthumously that MJ was indeed, guilty of child molestation. But even his music could likely survive that.

--O.W.

A SONG FOR OURSELVES PREMIER THIS SAT

Back in 1997, I had the distinct honor of working on a reunion concert for A Grain of Sand, arguably the first self-identified Asian American musical group, a folk trio that originally formed in the early 1970s between Nobuko Miyamoto, William "Charlie" Chin and Chris Iijima.

A Grain of Sand were important beyond just their historical stature - having come out of the Asian American Movement of the late 1960s, the group were tackling any number of critical - and complex - social and racial issues through their music at a time where Asian Americans were still largely invisible in popular media and culture.

All three members went on to continue their careers in the arts and music, especially Chris Iijima who put another album in 1982 with Chin called Back to Back (he was also a law professor outside of his musical life).

Sadly, Chris passed away a little over three years ago, on 12/31/05. A new documentary by Tad Nakamura pays tribute to his life and legacy and it will be premiered in Los Angeles this upcoming Saturday night. I've seen the film and it was wonderful - extremely well-made and powerful in its message and the history is covers.

Accompanying the film will be appearances by Nobuko and Charlie, as well as performances by the Blue Scholars, Kiwi and Bambu. You can find more info on the film here.

Also, DJ Phatrick, formerly DJ for Native Gunz (now hosting the weekly Devil's PIe party), has put together a mixtape in honor of the film's premier: A Song For Ourselves Mixtape which features songs from all of the above artists noted in this post.


Here's one of my favorite songs by Chris, from Back to Back called "Asian Song."

Chris Iijima: Asian Song
From Back to Back (East/West World Records, 1982)

--O.W.

THE YEAR IN MUSIC, 2008

(from l-r, Alton Ellis, Edwin Starr, Labi Siffre, The Impressions
Joe Bataan, Stevie Wonder, the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band
Bobby Matos, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Skye 7")

(This post began life on Side Dishes and has "evolved" since).

I had a strange realization the other week: 2008 might be the first year where I spent more time listening to older music than new music. This hasn't been out of nowhere - it's been a long-term shift but it hit me, when I was trying to come up with the standard "Top 10" list that I'm not even sure if I actually listened to 10 new albums in '08.

Not just that: even the new music I did like tended to overwhelmingly be music that sounded like it was from another era - Raphael Saadiq, Solange Knowles, Mayer Hawthorne, etc. For real - if there was one big presence in my 2008 year-in-review, it was Motown! Not only do quite a few Motown artists fill up my "old music I discovered this year list," amongst the new artists, several of them ride off the Motown sound and one of them (Q-Tip) is actually signed to Motown.
I turned 36 this year but why do I feel like my tastes are that of a 66 year old?

On one hand, your tastes are your tastes and if that's the direction I'm leaning, maybe I should just shrug and enjoy it. I don't have the professional pressure to have to stay as current as my colleagues do but as I said last year, I also don't want to be a born-again baby boomer (even though my fascinating with the 1960s has only grown this past year).

So here's my New Year's Resolution For 2009: I shall listen to more new music and ideally, not new music that sounds like old music. (We'll check back a year from now and see where I'm at).

This all said, here's Part 1 of my year-in-review, beginning with old music I (re)discovered.

Edwin Starr: Running Back and Forth
From War & Peace (Gordy, 1970)

I get music recommendations from all sorts but no one is more influential than my friend Hua who has probably put me up on more of my more recent "new favorite songs" than any other single source I know. It helps that he has kick ass taste as well as a circle of friends in NY who have equally good taste and so I get some of these recommendation second, even third hand but heck - I ain't too proud!

Case in point: this lesser known single off Starr's big selling War and Peace album. It's easy enough to forget that there was any other songs from that LP given how successful and iconic the "War" single became but when I first heard "Running Back and Forth," I had a proverbial jaw-drop over how good it was and that it'd be from the same album. This song oozes with classic Motown production strengths of its era (RIP Norman Whitfield!), especially in its brass and the driving push of the sound bed. Seriously, try to piece apart all the little bits of the music; it is dense yet comes off sounding clean and simple. In contrast to Starr's forceful polemicizing on "War," here, he's in classic love man mode, trying to kick some game. (Bonus points for the Sam Cooke nod on the bridge).

Labi Siffre: A Little More Line
From S/T (Pye, 1970)

This British singer, songwriter and poet has a voice you can't soon forget - it's not the most powerful, nor the most dynamic - but it is so distinctive and soothing, it stays with you long after the song's end. I especially love how this song builds from an almost hymnal opening only to swell in size and sound with the string orchestration and some killer work on the drums. Siffre's entire catalog from the '70s is classic material (even if many of you probably have never heard of him). This was from his debut album and it's just as good of a place to start as any to enjoy his gifts.

Alton Ellis: What Does It Take To Win Your Love
From Sunday Coming (Coxsone, 1971)

There is something humbling discovering this song the year of Ellis' death. My awareness of him preceded his passing but I had been giving Ellis' cover of Jr. Walker's hit much spin in the first part of the year that when Ellis passed away in October, I found myself coming back to his catalog again and again. Ellis was arguably reggae's finest soul man, not just with his covers but also original compositions.

The Impressions: I'm Loving Nothing
From This Is My Country (Curtom, 1968)

In a year of Obama's ascendency, there are no doubt more apropos songs from the Impressions' catalog but the song of theirs that will haunt me is "I'm Loving Nothing." Its beauty seems almost profane given that this is all about the death of love. Not something you'd want as a first dance at your wedding but doesn't it sound like an embrace rather than slow turn away?

Bonnie and Shelia: You Keep Me Hanging On
From 7" (King, 1971). Also on New Orleans Funk Vol. 2.

King is best known as the home of James Brown for many of his pivotal funk productions of the late 60s but at least for this single, the Cincinnati-based label picked up a slice of NOLA funk thanks to this excellently produced tune from Wardell Quezerque. One of my new favorite femme funk tracks, "You Keep Me Hanging On" reminds me a lot of the snap and sass of Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff." Hang with it.

Ray Barretto: Pastime Paradise (Good Parts Edit)
From La Cuna (CTI, 1981)

Gotta thank my man Rani D for hepping me to this Barretto song. As big of a fan I am of the late master's work, I had never listened to anything he did past the early '70s and I was mightily drawn to how good this cover of Stevie Wonder's song is. The sound of this song is just so gorgeous, especially the first few minutes but I did have to admit I wasn't quite as enamored with the vocals...and cheesy sex...and bad, Santana-wannabe rock guitar. So I just cut all that out and left you with a 1/3rd length "best of" edit from the song. Like Bobby B. - it's my prerogative.

Joe Bataan: Ordinary Guy (7" version)
From 7" (Fania, 1967)

"Ordinary Guy" has been Joe Bataan's enduring hit for over 40 years but this version, which only appeared on 7" single, isn't well known and when I first heard it, I was instantly enamored. It's not entirely clear what Fania's thinking was but they brought in pianist Richard Tee to give the song a a subtle new dynamic, most obviously heard in how different the new intro is. Tee's piano has a strong presence, especially with an arrangement that sounds very much like the beginning of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Precious Love." This is probably my favorite version of the song, precisely for that intro which gives the tune such a rich, soulful feel to it.

Bobby Matos: Nadie Baila Como Yo
From My Latin Soul (Phillips, 1968)

I've owned Bobby Matos and Combo Conquistadores' incredible My Latin Soul album for years, but I had somehow totally overlooked the incredible charm of "Nadie Baila Como Yo" (nobody dances like me). It wasn't until I heard the Boogaloo Assassins play it at their shows that I was reminded of how damn good it is; it's since become, easily, one of my favorite Latin songs ever. Love how it changes up from a guanguanco into a son montuno and has those beautiful keyboard chords anchoring.

Skye: Ain't No Need (Unity Mix)
From 7" (Ananda, 1976)

When I was out in New York earlier this year, Jared at Big City Records slipped a reissue of this 45 into my hand and I was hooked (and then later, managed to procure an original from the Groove Merchant). Sometimes all you need is a good groove and this obscure disco single from the mid-70s delivers a one helluva great groove that just goes on and on and on. Under other circumstances, I'd find the whole thing repetitious but somehow, I don't tire of it. Ever. (I created this "Unity Mix" which combines the original mix and disco mix in a simple edit).

Stevie Wonder: Send Me Some Lovin'
From I Was Made to Love Her (Motown, 1967)

Heck, I could have filled this list with Stevie Wonder songs I've been rediscovering but "Send Me Some Lovin'" has stood in front of that line. I love the small touches of funk to the arrangement, especially those pianos at the very beginning. This has a fantastic groove to it and you put Stevie's distinctive vocals on top of that and you have an unbeatable combination.

Songs that are technically new (i.e. that just came out) but are based on older recordings:

Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band: Express Yourself (alternate version)
From Puckey Puckey: Jams and Outtakes, 1970-71 (Rhino Handmade, 2008)

This was a real gem from the Puckey Puckey anthology that I wrote the liner notes for. It's a completely alternate recording of the Watts 103rd's big hit, "Express Yourself." Compared to the original, this one is far more languid, like the group was nearing the end of their recording day and just wanted to something to chill out to, maybe smoke a bowl to (as they were known to).

Final Solution: I Don't Care
From Brotherman (Numero Group, 2008)

Provided - their name was terrible. No one wants to think of the Holocaust while groovin' to sweet soul - but even if the Chicago band formerly known as the Kaldirons probably could have chosen a better name for themselves, at least the music speaks for itself. The album - a soundtrack for a blaxploitation film never made - has an interesting backstory all its own but for now, all you need to know is how damn good "I Don't Care" is. Especially when paired with that melancholy but heavy guitar melody by newcomer Carl Wolfolk, there's something sublime about how the group's falsetto voices come coasting in on top of the track. It's a mix of slow-building drama with an angelic set of voices, lending a gospel-like quality to the music's otherwise dark undertones.

Marvin Gaye: What's Going On (DJ Day Edit)
From 7" single (MPM, 2008)

This single just came out a week or so ago and it finds California's DJ Day reworking an alternative version of Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Going On" in a way so clean and organic that even Motown fanatics would swear it was a lost tape from the label's vaults. I don't know why it sounds so perfect with the season but there's something warm and comforting about this that makes you want to wrap yourself in it.

Nina Simone: Gimme Some (Mike Mangini Remix)
V/A: Verve Remixed 4 (Verve, 2008)

Frankly, this song had three killer remixes that I found almost equally commendable including Diplo's remix of Marlena Shaw's "California Soul" and the smoky Chris Shaw remix of Sarah Vaughn's "Tea For Two". But if I had to pick amongst that trio, this Nina Simone reworking took the slimmest of leads, possibly because it's so damn happy (which is not an adjective I often associate with Her High Priestess. Seriously though, this whole album is nice.

Honorable Mentions:
1. Patti Drew: Stop and Listen
2. Joubert Singers: Stand On the Word
3. Ceil Miner: Stardust
4. Aaron Neville: She Took You For a Ride
5. New Holidays: Maybe So, Maybe No
6. Nick and Valerie: I'll Find You
7. Pedrito Ramirez y su Combo: Micaela
8. Bobby Reed: The Time is Right
9. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: If You Can Want
10. Tammi Terrell: What a Good Man He Is

PART 2: NEW(ISH) MUSIC


(from l-r: Alicia Keys, Estelle, Cool Kids, Lil Wayne
Chico Mann, Menahan St. Band, Q-Tip
Robin Thicke, Solange Knowles, Mayer Hawthorne, Raphael Saadiq)
As I just noted, my tastes in 2008 were decidedly retro. Even the new songs I liked still sounded like they were recorded in 1968. But I'm not going to artificially stack my list below to make it seem like I wasn't stuck in some weird throwback mode for most of the year. Here's my favorite new songs of the year:

Solange Knowles: I Decided
From Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (Geffen, 2008)

When I first heard this in early summer, I kept thinking, "it's got the build-up of a Supremes song but then never delivers. The Neptunes' beat just felt weird as a result and I initially dismissed it. Yet, each time I'd hear it, I'd just want to keep listening longer, maybe subconsciously waiting for the "real" beat to drop, but whatever the case, I soon enjoyed it for what it was - infectious pop in the best tradition of Ross and her Supremes. This was, much to my surprise, my favorite pop single of the year.

Estelle: No Substitute Love
From Shine (Atlantic, 2008)

Of course, Solange was hardly the only femme getting her retro-twist on. Besides her, there was also Little Jackie and Estelle, whose Shine album was one of my favorite of the year (see below). I had a hard time choosing which of her various songs were my favorite - I guess I could just have easily gone with the ragga-fied "Magnificent" or the swinging, uptempo "Pretty Please" (produced by Jack Splash, aka my new favorite producer). But "No Substitute Love" (produced by Wyclef) lingers a touch longer in the ear for some reason - it's really all about the hook and the way Estelle pulls her notes out and milks those long vowels.

Q-Tip: Getting Up
From The Renaissance (Motown, 2008)

Not that I haven't already written enough about Q-Tip this year but I'm still marveling at how good a comeback he's made. It's one thing to want to champion an artist, it's another thing when they exceed your expectations. Q-Tip's return was set off by the excellence of this first single that told you some of his ol' magic was back.

The Cool Kids: 88
From The Bake Sale EP (Chocolate Industries, 2008)

Rappers for the hypebeast generation, I like the Cool Kids even if I have little interest/love for their hyper-hipster consumerism. But hey, I'm not that into the crack trade either and that never stopped me from enjoying rappers who only seem to rhyme about Pyrex and fish scales. In the end, pair two decent flows and production that sounds like Magic Mike-meets-Rick Rubin-meets-Salih Williams and that's a good combination.

Raphael Saadiq: Seven
From The Way I See It (FYE Exclusive) (Columbia, 2008)

For all my reservations, I still think Saadiq pulled off one of the best crafted albums of the year, bringing together a masterful blend of '60s soul styles onto one album. However, my favorite song of his this year was actually a bonus cut from the "FYE exclusive" version (who the hell is FYE?): "Seven." I was told that this song is actually a veiled reference to Michael Vick (#7) and if you listen to the lyrics with that in mind, you can hear it. Even without that weird, pop culture nod though, I like how everything on this song comes together: the reverb on the melancholy guitars, the tap of the tambourine, and most of all, that synthesizer that comes in on the chorus with its buzzy texture. (Thanks to Eric L. for the hook-up).

Chico Mann : Dilo Como Yo
From Analogue Drift (forthcoming)

Captain Planet: Boogaloo
From Jazz Loves Dub (Rudiments, 2008)

My DJ partner, Murphy's Law, put me up on both of these by playing them at Boogaloo[la]. Of course, one could cite nepotism in the case of Captain Planet's tune since the two of them are brothers but hey, family relations aside, "Boogaloo" is a great, catchy instrumental that moves with a snappy step and some deft drum programming (love the fill that takes the song out of the bridges). Likewise, the yet-to-be-officially-released "Dilo Como Yo" ("as I say") has a slick Afro-flavored rhythm section and speaks the universal language of tooty-synthesizers.

Menahan Street Band: Home Again!
From Make the Road By Walking (Dunham, 2008)

Funk instrumental albums are a relatively rare breed but Brooklyn's Menahan Street Band pulled off one of the slickest albums in that vein this side of the James Brown Band circa Popcorn. Off that, I couldn't stop listening to "Home Again!" which has this beautifully laid-back feel thanks to the mellow guitar and horn section. Not sure why they put a ! on the title of such a languid composition but I'm more than happy to shout its praises.

Lil Wayne: Let the Beat Build
From The Carter III (Cash Money, 2008)

I still think Carter II was the better album but hey, I'm not going to begrudge Wayne his success this year (the record industry needed some good news). But even if Carter III didn't quite exceed expectations, Wayne still came with some killer cuts. "A Milli" made a huge impact but the song that I kept coming back to was "Let the Beat Build." What can I say? Gospel-tinged vocals + Wayne's verses + slowly evolving beat = untouchable. So sick it gave birth to ill twins (see Honorable Mentions below).

Mayer Hawthorne and the County: Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
From 7" single (Stones Throw, 2008)

This Detroit native turned L.A. transplant takes Allen Toussaint's drums and lays it under a simple but catchy melody and then unleashes that soulful falsetto to get the groove right. Heartbreak rarely sounded so achingly sweet.

Erykah Badu: Honey (DJ Day Remix)
From 7" (Day1, 2008)

Take one of the best songs from one of year's best albums and then give it a fantastically smart and intuitive remix and you get this. In hindsight, it probably seems obvious to remake Badu's "Honey" with Delegation's "Ooh Honey," but Day gives the pairing a natural depth (something he excels in as heard previously in that Marvin Gaye edit) that, dare I say, makes his remix sound better than the original.

Robin Thicke: Ms. Harmony
From Something Else (Interscope, 2008)

As I wrote in the L.A. Weekly, Thicke's sweetest confection off his third album was “Ms. Harmony,” a bossa nova-flavored blend of dreamy guitar melodies, Latin percussion and Thicke’s own, mojito-cool vocals. I don't much more to add except to say that I've been playing this as an "end of the night" song for parties and my, my, my, does it work nicely.

STUFF THAT'S RELATIVELY RECENT BUT I ONLY DISCOVERED THIS YEAR:

Alicia Keys: Teenage Love Affair
From As I Am (J Records, 2007)

I know this album came out in 2007 but, um, I just started to listening to it this past week and "Teenage Love Affair" has been on constant rotation since. Single-song-repeat rotation. Part of why I'm so taken by it is how Jack Splash juices up the loop from the Temprees and gives Keys' tune such a richness and catchy drive. The other half is how Keys handles this song with just the right blend of burgeoning sexuality and chaste coquettish-ness. I think I have a school boy crush on "Teenage Love Affair."

Quantic and Nicodemus: Mi Swing Es Tropical
From Ritmo Tropical EP (Tru Thoughts, 2005). Also on Shapes.

Like the Ray Barretto I wrote up on Part 1, I owe my discovery of this to Rani D. I love both songs for the same reason: electric piano + Afro-Latin sabor = unbeatable combination. That and, on this song, Nicodemus' vocals lend a gruff contrast to the soothing sweetness of the melody. I can't believe I never heard this until this past year since I'm a big fan of Quantic. This is easily my favorite track of all his tunes.

Honorable Mentions:
1. Busta Rhymes: Don't Touch Me
2. Freeway: Let the Heat Spill freestyle
3. Lauren Flax: You've Changed
4. Al Green: All I Need
5. J-Live: The Upgrade
6. Johnson and Jonson: The Only Way
7. Little Jackie: 28 Butts
8. Lone Catalysts: Make It Better
9. Roots: Rising Down
10. Usher: In This Club

---

If-I-Had-To-Come-Up-With-A-Top-10-Albums-List List:

1. Erykah Badu: New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
2. Cool Kids: The Bake Sale EP
3. Estelle: Shine
4. Final Solution: Brotherman OST
5. Kanye West: 808s and Heartbreaks
6. Q-Tip: The Renaissance
7. Raphael Saadiq: The Way I See It
8. LIl Wayne: The Carter III
9. Menahan Street Band: Make the Road By Walking
10. V/A: Verve Remixed 4

--O.W.

WHY CAN'T AZNS GET ALONG?

While I find it hard to approve of such wholesale deployment of stereotypes (not to mention excessive use of the other f-word), even I had to guffaw aloud at some of the punchlines here, e.g. rhyming "dry cleaner" with "wife beater").

No doubt, there some Movement-era folk looking upon this thinking, "I marched on Sproul...for this?"

Thanks to Todd Inoue.

--O.W.

FORGET ALL THE NONSENSE: THIS IS THE SONG OF THE YEAR

Blackout Crew: Put a Donk On It

Oh yeah baby.

--O.W.

GOODBYE TO ONE OF THE VOICES OF SOUL

--O.W.

BOOGALOO CHECK 1, 2

OMG: Something not election-related.

I was on WNYC's Soundcheck earlier today, talking about boogaloo since my essay on it for The Nation was included in this year's Best Music Writing 2008. Peep.

For those in Los Angeles, I'll be reading from the essay this Friday, at Skylight Books in Los Feliz.

--O.W.

TODAY'S EVENTS AS SUMMED UP IN SONG

--O.W.

SYNERGY

The Economist on hip-hop.

Hip-hop on The Economist.

--O.W.

REAL TALK

If you're not reading Josh Levine's coverage of the R. Kelly trial, you need to be.

--O.W.

2007 IN MUSIC PT. 2

See Part 1.

Favorite reissues of 2007

• V/A: Twinight's Lunar Rotation. Numero Group has already established itself amongst the best reissue labels in the world and their dedication to revisiting specific labels reaches a zenith with their 2-CD anthology of Chicago's Twinight label. Though best known for being the starting place for Syl Johnson, the imprint goes so much deeper. This isn't a case of a handful of great songs surrounded by lesser releases - the consistency on Twinight was remarkable.
  Peep: The Kaldirons' "To Love Somebody"
  
  
• East of Underground: S/T. Wax Poetics took one of the holiest of holy grails - a 1971 soul album, recorded as a part of a "battle of the bands" contest in Germany by U.S. servicemen and finally has made it available for wide release. The backstory behind this album alone is fascinating but the music is extraordinary, especially given that East of Underground was basically a glorified cover band (but oh, what a cover band). The album has it all - sweet soul harmonies and fiery funk tunes. Used to be, you had to drop $1000 for this...now it's within more reasonable means.
  Peep: "Poppin' Popcorn"
  
  
• Betty Davis: S/T + They Say I'm Different. I'm obviously biased considering I wrote the liner notes to these two albums but they do fill a very valuable gap in musical history by finally, legitimately, reissuing the first two albums by Betty Davis. To me, she's one of the most fascinating figures in pop music over the last 30 years and these reissues do justice to that legacy which, until now, has gone mostly under the radar.
  Peep: "Anti-Love Song" + "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him"
  
  
• DJ Rumor: Fania Live 01: From the Meat Market. In the wake of the purchase of the Fania catalog by Emusica, they've been rolling out all sorts of projects that shine attention on the extensive Latin soul/boogaloo titles that Fania holds. Of this batch, I found DJ Rumor's to be a great introduction into not just that catalog, but Latin soul in general. Though the liner notes are not the most extensive, musically speaking, this serves as a solid primer for the uninitiated.
  Peep: Ray Barretto's "The Teacher of Love"

New + reissued songs that rocked my world

This isn't a list of singles of the year insofar as several of these songs were never singles to begin with but they constitute the tracks that, at some point or another, I had on serious heavy rotation.

• Ben Westbeech: So Good Today
  From Welcome to the Best Years of Your Life
  
  It's like the lemonade that you get at Hot Dog on a Stick. You feel a little sheepish, indulging in it at first but then you just give into the sugary goodness.
  
  
• Charles Bradley: The World (Is Going Up In Flames) + Menahan Street Band: Make the Road by Walking
  Both from Dunham Records 7"
  
  Goes without saying that the folks at Daptone have had a banner year - not just backing Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse, Anthony Hamilton, and others but I'm glad they're also making time to put together their own projects, especially the new material coming out on the Dunham subsidiary. The Charles Bradley is one of the best songs I've heard out of this camp - period - while "Make the Road By Walking" would be a great instrumental on its own; the fact that it became the basis for "Roc Boys" is just icing on the cake.
  
  
• Common: Start the Show
  From Finding Forever
  
  I didn't find this album as compelling as I hoped I would but I do think it starts out great with this Kanye-produced track that lights things up like the old Vegas neon days.
  
  
• Craig G: Catch a Lyrical Beatdown
  From Top Shelf 8/8/88
  
  The album this comes off of might be total fugazi but the songs are real enough in terms of their quality. This Craig G song, especially, is both funny in how it really tries to sell the '88 angle (word to Mike Dukakis!) but it's also a very, very good Craig G song, showcasing one of the undersung masters at his fast-rap best.
  
  
• Devin the Dude feat. Lil Wayne and Bun B: Lil Gone Gone (Mr. JPatt Remix)
  From DJ Benzi's None Higher (We Got the Remix)
  
  Not a great song on the album but the remix, in my mind, puts it in a whole new light, or er, sound with JPatt's melancholy loops. I never really listen past Wayne's verses but the affect is enough that the song continues to linger.
  
  
• Flight of the Conchords: Bret, You Got It Goin' On + Most Beautiful Girl In the Room
  From their HBO Show
  
  "Why can't a heterosexual guy tell a heterosexual guy that he thinks his booty is fly?" b/w "you're so beautiful, you could be an air hostess in the '60s".You might think this is all kind of juvenile but the songs will stick in your craw for days. I just hope these two haven't spent their creative energies on the first season.
  
  
• Jay-Z: Success
  From American Gangster
  
  I didn't think the album was so extraordinary, but "Success" is one of the hardest hitting Jay-Z songs I've heard since "P.S.A." Those Larry Ellis organ vamps that No ID flips are what one could score wrecking balls demolishment with.
  
  
• The Kaldirons: To Love Someone (That Don't Love You)
  From Twinight's Lunar Rotation
  
  Possibly the rarest of the 45s reissued on this anthology and wouldn't you know? Also the best. What a sublime synergy between the strings, bass, piano and vocals. I cannot get enough of this song.
  
  
• LCD Soundsytem: All My Friends
  From Sound of Silver
  
  As my friend Hua put it, this song is infused with "melancholy greatness." Those hammering piano keys creates a hypnotic feel all its own and James Murphy's lyrics strike to the heart of life regrets that only someone over the age of 30 can appreciate.
  
  
• Lil Wayne/Juelz Santana: Black Republicans + Lil Wayne: Upgrade U
  From Da Drought 3
  
  Lil Wayne might as well get artist of the year platitudes even though he has nary an actual album to this name (just several dozen mix-CDs, or so it feels). That said, I actually think Juelz Santana is the one who comes off the best on "Black Republicans," all the more prescient with the rise of the "young Barack[a] Obama" (we're all for it). Weezy, however, owns the "Upgrade U" remix all on his lonesome. So many ridiculous one-liners here, my favorite involving his deaf and blind admirers.
  
  
• Marco Polo feat. Large Professor: The Radar remix
  From The Radar EP
  
  Hard. As. Hell.
  
  
• Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse: Valerie
  From Version
  
  To me, the single best Amy Winehouse song this year wasn't even on her album; it was her cover of the Zuton's "Valerie" on Mark Ronson's album. People pop a lot of sh-- about how terrible her voice is but I can't hear it, especially not in how she tackles this song. It's like she was born to sing it. (Peep the acoustic version).
  
  
• M.I.A.: Paper Planes
  From Kala
  
  The Clash + cash register sounds + gun shots = unfadeable. Bo! Bo! Bo!
  
  
• Timothy McNealy: I'm So Glad You're Mine
  From Truth and Soul 7"
  
  Covering Al Green is tough, especially on a slower ballad like this one but Indianapolis' McNealy does a fantastic job here, especially with a more stripped down version of a song that was sparse to begin with. Hopefully they'll get these back in stock - this is what reissued 45s were meant to do.
  
  
• UGK feat. OutKast: Int'l Players Anthem
  From Underground Kingz
  
  I saved the best for last: hands-down, the song of the year. Is it how the song opens with Andre 3000's verses? How the drums don't kick in until Pimp C jumps on? The Willie Hutch sample? The lush video? Yes. All of it. And then some.

--O.W.

2007 IN MUSIC PT. 1

Yeah, I know - I'm a little bit late but this is the earliest I had time to work on this.

For whatever reason, I've decided not to participate in the big consensus-making projects that I've contributed to for close to ten years now. The thing is: the only time these lists were meaningful to me was in my ability to advocate for something...if I felt like I wanted to make sure the Coup album got some shine or push up the singles I personally really liked. But instinctually, I have an aversion to list-making when it feels arbitrary or limited by nothing more than a nice, rounded number such as "10". There's a deeper issue too - namely that I've never listened to all the "major" pop albums in a single year; I can't even claim to have ever listened to all the major rap albums in a single year. Perhaps if I had ever been a full-time critic (or just incredibly obsessive), it might have happened but generally, I don't feel the obligation to have to be up on everything. There are other critics who've done that longer and better; I'm content with liking what I like.

2007, more so than probably any year before it, brought all this home because I've found myself less and less interested with contemporary pop music (hip-hop included), and much more invested in listening to music of the past. In other words, it's like I turned 35 and got reborn a baby boomer. I'm as surprised as you are.

Believe me, this is not something I'm proud of and I'd hate to think I'm (d)evolving into another one of those crotchety middle aged dudes who insist whatever music was hitting in 1989 is all the music I'll ever need. And it's not like I don't listen to new music...but it's that I don't see new releases as being inherently more interesting or compelling than older ones. It's not a great trait for a working writer to take on (though it certainly plays exceedingly well as a blogger) but that's the luxury of me not being one of my friends, like Ann Powers, or Jon Caramanica. It's their job to be up on the latest Lil Wayne + LCD Soundsystem collaboration whereas I'm still idly flipping through my box of 45s or "discovering" songs that have been out since May.

If all this reads as so much navel-gazing that's because, well, it is...but as some of my friends chide me - I tend to do a lot of my private thinking in public and my relationship to pop music - past and present - is never far from my mind.

In any case, this is all a long, long wind-up pitch to my picks for my favorite music of 2007 but this is, by no means, an attempt at anything that's definitive or comprehensive or even meaningful in any real way except that, for me, it gives me an excuse to revisit the past year and remember what the hell I've been listening to. You'll see a lot of sub-genre breakdowns because, well, I don't like lists but I like sub-genres. Here we go:

New albums I liked

• Devin the Dude: Waiting to Inhale. Not necessarily Devin's best album but a solid one nonetheless, with a nice, laid back charm that goes well with Devin's own ultra-relaxed drawl and everyman lyricism.
  Peep: "What a Job"
  
  
• Prodigy: Return of the Mac. Sure, it's a one-note album but Prodigy manages to strike that note very well. I think many people's expectations of this were low but to me, P put out a surprisingly effective effort, especially when backed by Alchemist who puts together some of his best material here.
  Peep: "Nickel and a Nail"
  
  
• Feist: The Reminder. I don't care how overexposed she is now post-iPod Nano ad: I still like this album, thin, brittle voice and all. It's not something I'd pump up prior to a fight or anything but it passes the time nicely, regardless.
  Peep: "Limit To Your Love"
  
  
• Brother Ali: The Undisputed Truth + Pharoah Monch: Desire. These two albums flew way under the mainstream radar but I thought both showed a great deal creative daring that'd be admirable just on principle but the fact that they're able to execute is all the more impressive.
  Peep: "Walking Away" + "Desire"
  
  
• Blu and Exile: Below the Heavens + Marco Polo: Port Authority. Neither of these were quite as emo-ed out but what they had were 1) strong rhymes and 2) exceptional production. Marco Polo, in particular, had what I think was a banner year in terms of putting his name out there and working with exceptional talent. Meanwhile, Blu and Exile are the latest rapper/producer duo to show that good chemistry in a partnership is something you can hear in music. Their CD really gave me flashbacks to a previous era of hip-hop in a way that many artists aspire to but few achieve.
  Peep: "Blu Collar Worker" + "Nostalgia"
  
  
• Now Again: Re:Sounds Vol. 1. One of the less splashy of Stonesthrow's many releases, this was a personal favorite, especially in making available a few songs that hadn't been on CD before, especially all the remixes involving "Blind Man" by L.A. Carnival. Add to that some great J. Rocc and Kenny Dope remixes and you have a slick little package that deserves to be re-discovered if you missed it the first time.
  Peep: "Blind World"
  
  
• UGK: Underground Kings. Obviously, with Pimp C's passing, this album takes on added weight and importance but even without that tragedy, this was still an important accomplishment and celebration of both UGK's legacy as well as continued relevance. All that plus some gorgeously soulful production, including what I think was one of the best singles I've heard in years, "Int'l Players Anthem."
  Peep: "Int'l Players Anthem"
  
  
• Ghostface Killah: Big Doe Rehab. Ghostface doesn't break new ground but his consistency is unfadable as a storyteller, as an MC who loves words for the sake of, as one of the last, dependable rappers from 15 years back whose making as good - if not better - music as he gets older.
  Peep: "Shakey Dog"

New albums I loved

• The Shins: Wincing the Night Away. My wife found this album derivative of at least half a dozen New Wave artists from the 1980s and that's probably a completely fair critique but I was so taken by its melodies and textures, I hardly cared. This album plain sounds good to me and perhaps it's because it subliminally gives me flashbacks to my '80s days, growing up in L.A. but I do find it to be the perfect soundtrack for driving through my sprawling city.
  Peep: "Sleeping Lessons"
  
  
• Amy Winehouse: Back to Black. It's fascinating how divisive a figure she is...most people either treat her as the worst thing ever or the best thing ever and it's hard to discern the logic applied to either position. I like this album, I think it sounds great (hello Dap-Kings) and I like the mix of the sardonic and the sincere. It's a pity she's self-destructing in public but hey, that's pop music. One complaint: leaving "Addicted" off the U.S. versions of this album. Weaksauce.
  Peep: "He Can Only Hold Her"
  
  
• Turf Talk: West Coast Vaccine (The Cure) + Freeway: Free At Last. These two represent the two best rap albums I heard all year and even though they're separated coast-to-coast, both share a hunger so strong that it's palatable. Maybe it's because they're younger dudes - or just their shared penchant for grunting - but Turf and Free chew up their rhymes with a visceral ferocity and passion. Both albums also benefit from superior production; Turf Talk's ranges from the Mantronix resurrection on "Sick Wid' It Is the Crew" to the smoky soul of "Back in the Day" to the crushing beats of Rick Rock on "Bring the Base Back." Likewise, Free may not have Just Blaze behind him on this one but you'd hardly miss him given how so many of the tracks have that seering soul style of JB already infused into them. It's funny that the two even collabo together on Turf's album (pity that didn't go both ways).
  Peep: "Intro" + "When They Remember" + "Minnie Minnie"
  
  
• M.I.A.: Kala. Politically uneven but sonically incredible. It'd be worth it just for that impossibly low note on "Hussel" but you have an embarrassing bounty of riches from the clapping rhythms of "World Town" to the sound-Clash of "Paper Planes."
  Peep: "Paper Planes"
  
  
• Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: 100 Days, 100 Nights. Ha - bet you saw this coming. Much as I probably contributed to this idea that there was an Amy vs. Sharon competition, for the most part, I'm just glad both of them celebrated their best albums yet. Jones and the Dap-Kings really stepped up with this album musically; it's so much more sophisticated and diverse in sound and style. Makes one excited for what they'll cook up on their next LP.
  Peep: "When The Other Foot Drops, Uncle"

Albums I might think are better later than I think they are now

• Jay-Z: American Gangster. Two great songs ("Roc Boys" and "Success") but as far as "concept" albums go, I found this surprisingly thin. It's a better album than Kingdom Come but that's not saying much. Maybe a year or two later, I'll revisit this and think its genius but presently, I just find it to be an "ok Jay-Z album."
  Peep: "Success"
  
  
• Kanye West: Graduation. Not a bad album but not nearly as adventurous as his last and more to the point, it came off like Sunshine Anderson: I heard it all before. Then again, "Big Brother" alone makes this album completely fascinating but maybe not for the right reasons.
  Peep: "Good Life"

Still remaining...Part 2.

--O.W.

BEST SONGS OF 2007

Once again, I've humbly assembled my list of what I consider to be the Top 100 singles of the year.

As one might have predicted twenty years ago, this year's #1 song is an R&B slow jam by the son of the star of Growing Pains. (For you purists, I realize that both #1 and #2 were technically released in 2006, but you're just going to have to deal.)

This is one of the most bizarre and unpredictable year-end song lists ever. My list includes "The Way I Are" and the grammatically preferable "The Way I Am." It also hosts both J-Ro and J. Lo, two songs about hospitals, two "chemical" artists, at least two French artists, two instrumental songs, and one totally a cappella track. Plus, the song with vocals in the highest pitch range is sung by a man, Christophe Willem. And what 2007 list would be complete without appearances by Paul Simon and Robert Plant?

Without further delay, herein lies my list of the top songs of the year.

1. Lost Without U - Robin Thicke
2. Naive - The Kooks
3. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is.....) - Jay-Z feat. Kanye West
4. Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire
5. Keep Breathing - Ingrid Michaelson
6. Good Life - Kanye West feat. T-Pain
7. Discover Tokyo - Shuta Hasunuma
8. Cinderella Under The Umbrella - Rihanna feat. Jay-Z and Chris Brown
   
9. Talking Old Soldiers - Bettye LaVette
10. The Way I Are - Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E.
11. Sober - Kelly Clarkson
12. Innocence - Björk
13. Tenderoni (Radio Edit) - Chromeo
14. Like This - Kelly Rowland
15. D.A.N.C.E. (Benny Blanco Mix) - Justice Featuring Mos Def and Spank Rock
16. They Call Me Mr. Tibbs Main Title (King Britt vocal reinterpretation featuring Mr. Lif) - Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
17. Love Stoned/I Think She Knows (Justice Remix) - Justin Timberlake
18. Wait For You - Elliott Yamin
19. House Of Cards - Radiohead
20. Take Me Home - Brother Ali
21. The Game - Common
22. The Midnight Choir - The Thrills
23. Gimme More - Britney Spears
24. Because Of You - Ne-Yo
25. Easy Silence - Dan Wilson
26. Gotta Work - Amerie
27. Great Divide - Hanson
28. Apologize - OneRepublic
29. Kanske Ar Jag Kar i Dig - Jens Lekman
30. Archangel - Burial
31. Rehab (Desert Eagle Remix) - Amy Winehouse
32. Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder
33. Release - Timbaland Feat. Justin Timberlake
34. Sucka Mofo - Northern State
35. Inversion - Mark Ronson
36. Long And Whining Road - Public Enemy
37. Me And My Imagination - Sophie Ellis Bextor
38. Late In The Evening - Spanish Harlem Orchestra
39. Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Marketa Iglóva
40. Stronger - Kanye West
41. Happy Ending - Mika
42. Ayo Technology - 50 Cent feat. Justin Timberlake
    
43. Stick With Me Baby - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
44. 1 2 3 4 - Feist
45. Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem
46. Oh Timbaland - Timbaland
47. Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors - Editors
48. Hip Hop Police - Chamillionaire feat. Slick Rick
49. Ain't No Time - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
50. The Pretender - Foo Fighters
51. The Story - Brandi Carlile
52. Sirens - Dizzee Rascal
53. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
54. Hot Thing (Remix) - Talib Kweli feat. Jean Grae, Ne-Yo, and Luther Vandross
55. Feel It (In The Air Tonight) - Naturally 7
56. Lip Gloss - Lil Mama
57. Famous In A Small Town - Miranda Lambert
58. Hate That I Love You - Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo
59. No One - Alicia Keys
60. Ice Box - Omarion
61. Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) - UGK feat. Outkast
    
62. Champion - Kanye West
63. Rec-Room Therapy - Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon & U-God
64. I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I`m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You) - Fall Out Boy
65. Tambourine (Remix) - Eve feat. Missy Elliott, Fabolous and Swizz Beatz
66. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
67. It Don't Make Any Difference To Me (Acoustic) - Kevin Michael feat. Akil Dasan
68. Heart Made Of Sound - SoftLightes
69. I Tried - Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony feat. Akon
    
70. The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson
71. Bull In the Heather - The Go! Team
72. Conquest - The White Stripes
73. How Lucky We Are - Meiko
74. Four Winds - Bright Eyes
75. I Got It From My Mama - Wil.I.Am.
76. Gotta Say It - Smif N Wessun
77. Until The End Of Time (Remix) - Justin Timberlake feat. Beyonce
78. Put It Down - Redman feat. DJ Kool
79. Teknochek Collision - Slavic Soul Party
80. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
81. Come Around - M.I.A. feat. Timbaland
82. The Anthem - Pitbull feat. Lil' Jon
    
83. Bed - J. Holiday
84. Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe - Okkervil River
85. Sex Planet - R. Kelly
86. Double Je - Christophe Willem
87. You Call That Love - J-Ro feat. Chords
    
88. Down The Line - Jose Gonzalez
89. Boy With A Coin - Iron & Wine
90. Shirk - Meshell Ndegeocello
91. Imitosis - Andrew Bird
92. Take Me To The Ballroom - Moonbabies
93. Teenagers - My Chemical Romance
94. Do It Well - Jennifer Lopez feat. Ludacris
    
95. Do It Again (Ali Love) - The Chemical Brothers
96. Going To A Town - Rufus Wainwright
97. Whine Up - Kat DeLuna feat. Elephant Man
98. Watch My Feet - Dude 'N Nem
99. Nessun Dorma - Paul Potts
100. F#@% Me - Wendy Ho

As an added bonus, I've uploaded all 100 Mp3s to imeem for your listening pleasure:




P.S. I am leaving the country tomorrow and will be mostly off-line until Kwanzaa. While I'm away, feel free to tear up my song choices, even though I won't be around to defend it and convince you that it's the perfect list.

--Junichi

BEST SONGS OF 2006

Here, at last, is my completed (last updated: December 29, 2006) list of the best singles of 2006.

100 BEST SONGS OF 2006:

1. My Love - Justin Timberlake
2. New Day - Kate Havnevik
3. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
4. The Fear You Won't Fall - Joshua Radin
5. The Long Way Around - Dixie Chicks
6. When You Were Young (Jacque Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) - The Killers
7. 9 Crimes - Damien Rice
8. You And I Are A Gang Of Losers - The Dears
9. Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera
10. Tell Me When To Go (Remix) - E-40 feat. Kanye West & Ice Cube
    
11. Thin Blue Flame - Josh Ritter
12. Postcards from Italy - Beirut
13. Who Am I - Will Young
14. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
15. Keep Bouncin (Street) - Too $hort feat. Snoop Dogg and Will.i.am
    
16. The Man - Pete Yorn
17. Show Me What You Got - Jay-Z
18. Knockers - The Darkness
19. Baby Makin' Hips - Fantasia
20. Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas
21. Love Me Or Hate Me Remix - Lady Sovereign Feat. Missy Elliott
22. Starlight - Muse
23. God's Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash
24. Number 1 (Superchumbo Remix) - Goldfrapp
25. Nausea - Beck
26. Fidelity - Regina Spektor
27. Rudebox - Robbie Williams
28. Cobrastyle - Teddybears feat. Mad Cobra
    
29. Bossy (Cavemen Remix) - Kelis
30. Compton - The Game feat. Will.i.am
    
31. Concentrate - Xzibit
32. Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland
    
33. It Ends Tonight - The All-American Rejects
34. Need You Tonite - Mylo
35. Touch It (The Remix) - Busta Rhymes feat. Mary J. Blige Rah Digga Missy Elliott Dmx Lloyd Banks & Papoose
36. You Know I'm No Good - Ghostface Killah /Amy Winehouse
    
37. Sexyback - Justin Timberlake
38. And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going - Jennifer Hudson
39. Control Myself - LL Cool J Feat Jennifer Lopez
40. Emily - Joanna Newsom
41. Silent House - Dixie Chicks
42. Kick, Push - Lupe Fiasco
43. Doctor's Advocate - The Game feat. Busta Rhymes
    
44. Gotta Understand - Jurassic 5
45. Girls Gone Wild - Ludacris
46. Kick out the chairs (WhoMadeWho remix) - Munk feat. James Murphy
    
47. Stunna Shades - Federation feat. E-40
48. Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance! - Sufjan Stevens
49. Lost One - Jay-Z Feat. Chrisette Michele
50. Boston - Augustana
51. Here It Goes Again - Ok Go
52. Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray
53. Sympathy - Billy Talent
54. Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
55. Henrietta - The Fratellis
56. Wamp Wamp (What It Do) - Clipse feat. Slim Thug
    
57. Crazy - Snoop Dogg feat. Nate Dogg
    
58. Welcome To The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
59. The Train - Outkast feat. Sleepy Brown
    
60. All Over Again - Ronan Keating
61. Electrik Heat - The Seekwill - K-Os
62. Maneater - Nelly Furtado
63. Hush Boy - Basement Jaxx
64. Lolita - Prince
65. Sexy Love - Ne-Yo
66. Can`t Take It In - Imogen Heap
67. Be Easy - Ghostface Killah & Trife Da God
68. Fergalicious - Fergie feat. Will.i.am
    
69. How We Operate - Gomez
70. Game for Fools - Jamie Lidell
71. Leave The Pieces - The Wreckers
72. Moving Like A Train - Herbert
73. Paranoid Android - Sia
74. Wisemen - James Blunt
75. Wind It Up - Gwen Stefani
76. I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) - Sandi Thom
77. Cooking - Scritti Politti
78. All Good Things (Come To An End) - Nelly Furtado
79. Streetlights - Rocky Votolato
80. Stolen - Dashboard Confessional
81. Not Big - Lily Allen
82. What You Know - T.I.
83. Faster Kill Pussy Cat - Paul Oakenfold feat. Brittany Murphy
84. Follow The Cops Back Home - Placebo
85. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
86. Unfaithful - Rihanna
87. On The Evening Train - Johnny Cash
88. Too Much To Ask For - Radio 4
89. 3000 Flowers - Destroyer
90. Tent In Your Pants - Peaches
91. Whoo! Alright - Yeah... Uh Huh. - The Rapture
92. So Excited - Janet Jackson Feat. Khia
93. Long Distance Call (Remix by 25 Hours a Day) - Phoenix
94. Above The Clouds - Cyndi Lauper with Jeff Beck
    
95. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
96. Bulgarian Chicks - Balkan Beat Box
97. U & Ur Hand - P!nk
98. Poppin' My Collar - Three 6 Mafia
99. Steam and Sequins for Larry Levan - Matmos
100. Goodbye Earl - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Random notes:

• I finalized these rankings using a complicated mathematical formula that involves how often I hummed the tune while waiting in line at Quizno's, the number of tweens who perform the song at karaoke night at the mall, and whether I can still stand listening to the song today.
• I didn't limit myself to one song per artist, although I put the bar higher for repeat showings by a single artist.
• I realize some of the songs are from albums released in 2005. Sue me.
• Any weak choices should be blamed on programmers at Sirius Satellite Radio and all my favorite audioblogs.
• If you feel my taste in music is craptacular, feel free to send me mp3s at junichi @ junichisemitsu.com.
  

--Junichi

BEST SONGS OF 2005 (JUNICHI'S PICKS)

I hereby submit the following as my picks for the hottest 100 singles of 2005:

1. Random - Lady Sovereign
2. Multiply (Gonzales Mix) - Jamie Lidell
3. Breathe Me - Sia
4. Beverly Hills - Weezer
5. 1 Thing (remix) - Amerie feat. Jay-Z
6. Cosy in the Rocket - Psapp
7. Signs - Snoop Dogg feat. Charlie Wilson & Justin Timberlake
8. Break It On Down (Battlezone) - Flii Stylz & Tenashus
9. Go - Common
10. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
11. Shake - Ying Yang Twins feat. Pitbull
12. What Sarah Said - Death Cab for Cutie
13. Since U Been Gone (Jason Nevins remix) - Kelly Clarkson
14. 10 $ - M.I.A.
15. Arc of Time - Bright Eyes
16. Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple
17. It's Like That (David Morales Club Mix) - Mariah Carey / Fatman Scoop
18. Heard 'Em Say - Kanye West
19. Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
20. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
21. Wait (The Whisper Song) - Ying Yang Twins
22. Kirsten is a Fu@kmachine - Tiger Tunes
23. Corners - Common
24. Catch My Disease - Ben Lee
25. Brand New - Rhymefest & Kanye West
26. Lose Control - Missy Elliott feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop
27. Mesmerized (Freemasons Mix) - Faith Evans
28. You're Beautiful - James Blunt
29. Nahmean Nahm Sayin - The Herbaliser feat. Jean Grae
30. Goodnight and Go - Imogen Heap
31. My Doorbell - The White Stripes
32. Shine - The Lovefreekz
33. Hell Yes - Beck
34. Nasty Girl - The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge
35. Feels Good Inc. - Gorillaz
36. Welcome to Jamrock - Damian Marley
37. Galvanize - Chemical Brothers feat. Q-Tip
38. Bad Man - Missy Elliott feat. Vybez Cartel & M.I.A.
39. 16 Military Wives - The Decembrists
40. Chewing Gum (Headman Vocal Remix) - Annie
41. Dem Boyz - Lil' Mo
42. Can I Have It Like That - Pharrell feat. Gwen Stefani
43. Collide - Howie Day
44. Hit The Floor - Twista feat. Pitbull
45. A Little Bit of Shhh (Smallstars Remix by Adrock) - Lady Sovereign
46. My Humps - Black Eyed Peas
47. Middle of Nowhere - Hot Hot Heat
48. All Night - Damian Marley
49. Ruby Blue - Roisin Murphy
50. Bucky Done Gone - M.I.A.
51. Errtime - Nelly
52. When I'm Gone - Eminem
53. Best of You - Foo Fighters
54. George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People - The Legendary K.O.
55. Brothers on a Hotel Bed - Death Cab for Cutie
56. Hey Mama - Kanye West
57. Hung Up - Madonna
58. Marvo Ging - The Chemical Brothers
59. Touch the Sky - Kanye West
60. Hate It or Love It - The Game & 50 Cent
61. Stay Fly - Three 6 Mafia feat. Young Buck, 8-Ball and MJG
62. Just A Moment - Nas feat. Quan
63. Que Onda Guero - Beck
64. Talk - Coldplay
65. So Seductive - Tony Yayo feat. 50 Cent
66. E-Pro - Beck
67. Be Easy - Ghostface
68. 9 to 5 - Lady Sovereign
69. The Get Down - Z-Trip feat. Lyrics Born
70. Say Somethin - Mariah Carey
71. Trapped in the Closet Ch. 1-12 - R. Kelly
72. Dare - Gorillaz
73. Was It You? - Spoon
74. Lovin' It - Little Brother
75. Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson
76. The Mask - Danger Doom & Ghostface
77. Knuckle Down - Ani DiFranco
78. We Might As Well Be Strangers (DJ Shadow Remix) - DJ Shadow vs. Keane
79. Petrified - Fort Minor
80. In The Kitchen - R. Kelly
81. La Breeze - Simian
82. Let's Get Blown - Snoop Dogg
83. So Sick - Ne-Yo
84. I Know Why - Sheryl Crow
85. Mamacita - Pharrell feat. Daddy Yankee
86. Twin Cinema - The New Pornographers
87. There It Go (The Whistle Song) - Juelz Santana
88. New Whirl Odor - Public Enemy
89. The Hand That Feeds - Nine Inch Nails
90. Furious - Z-Trip
91. These Boots Are Made For Walkin - Jessica Simpson
92. Talkin' About - Amerie
93. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House - LCD Soundsystem
94. Can't Let Go - Anthony Hamilton
95. Oh - Ciara feat. Ludacris
96. Daughters of the Soho Riots - The National
97. Get It Poppin' - Fat Joe feat. Nelly
98. Dance, Dance - Fall Out Boy
99. Change - Tracy Chapman
100. Still Tippin - Mike Jones feat. Slim Thug
     

I've temporarily uploaded songs #1, 2, 3, 8, and 28. While I prefer the original versions of "Random" and "Breathe Me," I uploaded the interesting remixes, for the hell of it.

Yes, I am aware that some of the above songs were technically released in 2004.

Bonus list: Top 10 Music Videos of 2005

1. Twisted Transistor - Korn (featuring Snoop, David Banner, Lil Jon, Xhibit)
2. We Will Become Silhouettes - Postal Service
3. Caught Up - Usher
4. Trapped in the Closet Ch. 1-12 - R. Kelly
5. Only - Nine Inch Nails
6. Testify - Common
7. Beautiful - Moby
8. Dream - Dizzee Rascal
9. 1976 - RJD2
10. Rappcats Pt. 3 - Quasimoto & Madlib

--Junichi