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Sunday, December 31, 2006

Faithless feat. Cat Power (audio), Best Bootlegs of 2006, Johnny Depp as Freddie Mercury?

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DJMonsterMo | 9:30 PM | View Comments »



Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Robyn - This One's For You (remix)(MP3), Justin Timberlake - My Love (diplo remix)(MP3), The Trucks - Titties (MP3)

    robyn remix mp3 music download
  • robyn remix mp3 music download Robyn - This One's For You (remix)
    This is from Robyn's forthcoming single. The original mix is a bit messy with bass and synthesized horns floating in and out of the mix somwhat haphazardly. This remix does a better job of featuring Robyn's vocals and has hand claps coming in at 0:28, and I'm a sucker for that.

  • justin timberlake remix mp3 music download Justin Timberlake - My Love (diplo remix)
    Sounds like Diplo had something interesting in mind on this remix, something lightly Mylo-ish or Isolee-ish. Unfortunately, he mails in his effort after an intriguing intro that starts with the T.I. rap.

    the trucks  mp3 music download
  • the trucks  mp3 music download The Trucks - Titties
    This girl group sounds like a mix of Peaches, Le Tigre, and Uffie. What about this song? Think electro pop update to Khia's 'My Neck, My Back'.

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DJMonsterMo | 11:38 AM | View Comments »



Remembering James Brown

Don't know what's going on, but they're dropping like flies out there: Gerald Ford dead

I didn't properly eulogize James Brown the other day.

There's music before James Brown and there's music after James Brown. Sure, the simple dichotomy is cliche and has been said of other larger-than-life artists, but this statement was more true of him than of any other living artist, which is why his death is such a great loss. The turntable and the sampler revolutionized hip-hop and dance music, but the notes and phrases were (directly or indirectly) James Brown. He wasn't only the Godfather of Soul and the funkiest man alive, he was an inspiration for entire genres of music, especially hip-hop, R&B, and drum and bass. Imagine Parliament and Funkadelic without James Brown. Imagine Public Enemy without James Brown. Where would drum and bass be without the Funky Drummer riff? Soul brother, you'll be missed.

James Brown eulogized:

Mick Jagger: ""His passing is a huge loss to music. He was a whirlwind of energy and precision, and he was always very generous and supportive to me in the early days of The Stones. I've always been a huge admirer of him as a performer and a band leader."

Snoop Dogg: ""I am hurt. That's my godfather, my soul inspiration, the hardest working man in show business of all time. He'll be missed, but his music and his legacy will live on through me, in every way you can imagine. Soul brother No. 1 ... we miss you James Brown."

President Bush: "An American original - his fans came from all walks of life and backgrounds. James Brown's family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers this Christmas."

DJMonsterMo | 10:47 AM | View Comments »



Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Top 50 Albums of 2006 (#1-15)

    Top 50 Albums of 2006 (#31-50 and honorable mentions)
    Top 50 Albums of 2006 (#16-30)
    Top 50 Albums of 2006 (#1-15)


    15) Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead
    Nas feat. Jay-Z - Black Republican mp3 music download Nas feat. Jay-Z - Black Republican (MP3)
    This album blows up most of the hip-hop competition like napalm. "Hip-Hop Is Dead" is easily his best LP since the classic debut "Illmatic". It's ironic that this album comes after burying the hatchet with HOV, as this album may prove to be to Nas what "The Blueprint" was to Jay-Z. The album is a bold statement as he proclaims his genre is defunct, then proceeds to dissect the scene while putting naysayers in their place.


    14) Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
    Clipse feat. Slim Thug - Wamp Wamp video Clipse feat. Slim Thug - Wamp Wamp (video)
    Clipse feat. Pharrell - Mr. Me Too video Clipse feat. Pharrell - Mr. Me Too (video)
    100% Neptunes-produced coke rap. This eagerly anticipated LP confirms the brilliance you've already come to expect from their mixtapes. It's their most cohesive release to date. The in-your-face opener "We Got It For Cheap" is an appropriate intro to this tour of the pusher lifestyle. The album culminates with the dark electro rap of 'Chinese New Year' followed by the introspective 'Nightmares'.


    13) The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
    The Strokes - Juicebox video The Strokes - Juicebox (video)
    The Strokes - You Only Live Once video The Strokes - You Only Live Once (video)


    12) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
    Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On mp3 music download Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On (MP3) | Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On video (video)
    Neko Case - Star Witness mp3 music download Neko Case - Star Witness (MP3)
    Neko Case - Maybe Sparrow Neko Case - Maybe Sparrow (live on Letterman video)


    11) Persephone's Bees - Notes From the Underworld
    Persephone's Bees - City of Love video Persephone's Bees - City of Love (video)
    Persephone's Bees - Nice Day video Persephone's Bees - Nice Day (chris cox club edit) (video)
    This fun album makes me yearn for the summer. Combine funky pop, hot guitar licks, and a frontwoman with an irresitable Russian accent, and you've found the 'Way to Your Heart', which by the way is a good introduction to the sound of their album. You may recognize 'City of Love' from a RAZR commerical, but there is so much more to this album than these two excellent aforementioned songs.


    And now, without further ado, the TOP 10...



    10) Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
    Lupe Fiasco feat. Jill Scott - Daydreamin' video Lupe Fiasco feat. Jill Scott - Daydreamin' (video)
    Lupe Fiasco - Kick, Push video Lupe Fiasco - Kick, Push (video)
    Lupe Fiasco - I Gotcha video Lupe Fiasco - I Gotcha (video)
    After numerous production delays, this album was well worth the wait. After hearing him on Kanye's Touch the Sky and early demo tracks, I knew he would make Chicago proud. Not a bad scene we got here with Common, Kanye, Lupe, Rhymefest, and Twista. In addition to the skater anthem 'Kick, Push', don't miss the standout track 'Daydreamin' featuring Jill Scott and the collaboration with Jay-Z, 'Pressure'. There is hardly a dull song on the album.


    9) Hot Chip - The Warning
    Hot Chip – Boy from School video Hot Chip – Boy from School (video)
    Hot Chip - Over and Over video Hot Chip - Over and Over (video)
    When I first heard 'Careful', I knew I was in for a different album. The songs are a cacophonous electronic clash of genres. You can hardly anticipate what the next sound, let alone the next song, will bring. 'Boy From School' has been on more than a few of my mixtapes and is a polite introduction to the band for any of your less musically adventurous friends. 'Over and Over' is a joyful ode to repetition in electronic music.


    8) The Knife - Silent Shout
    The Knife - Silent Shout video The Knife - Silent Shout (video)
    The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health video The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health (video)
    The Knife - Like a Pen video The Knife - Like a Pen (video)
    This album is a futuristic horror movie soundtrack, a dystopian antidote to the generally more upbeat Mylo/Royksopp/Fischerspooner electro sound. In many ways, the Knife have more in common with Front 242 or Nitzer Ebb, altough I wouldn't file them in the EBM/industrial category either. Almost every song has an eerie, disconcerting feel, as if you've stepped onto unexplored soil and risk being blasted by alien ray guns. 'Silent Shout' is mind-blowing as is 'We Share Out Mother's Health', but don't limit yourself to just these two tracks.


    7) Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela
    Rodrigo y Gabriela mp3 music download A selection of lo-fi MP3s from their site to sample
    Rodrigo y Gabriela - Juan Loco video Rodrigo y Gabriela - Juan Loco (video)
    If you aren't a fan of virtuoso flamenco/folk/rock/metal instrumental guitar work, you will be after you hear this impressive album. This Mexican duo slummed it on the streets of Dublin until their talent could no longer be kept a secret. The guitars sing with passion and the finger picking on many of the tracks has to be heard/seen to be believed. If you are able to track down their Letterman performance or any other live performances, I highly recommend it. Actually, here you go. It's a performance of 'Diablo Rojo' from 12/18/06 on the Letterman Show. Look at Gabriela's hands in this clip! Here's some more: a live performance of 'Tamacun'.


    6) Devics - Push the Heart
    Devics - Distant Radio mp3 music download Devics - Distant Radio (MP3)
    Amazingly, early in the year, I posted about the song 'Come Up' without realizing how great the rest of the album was. The album somehow slipped under my radar until October. I was listening to the Marie Antoinette soundtrack and was intrigued by Dustin O'Halloran's piano solos, who as it turns out does musical arrangements, piano, and guitar for the Devics. Paired with Sara Lov's lovely vocals, which sound like a cross between Chan Marshall and Hope Sandoval, it's a dreamy slice of indie rock heaven. "Lie to Me" is tragic and haunting in its desperate, yearning pleas for love. Sara's voice soars on "Distant Radio", one of my favorite songs of the year.


    5) Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
    Ghostface Killah - Back Like That video Ghostface Killah - Back Like That (video)
    The hard-hitting rhymes, MF Doom's funky production, and the varied collaborations make for an enjoyable listen throughout. From 'Shakey Dog' to 'Kilo' to '9 Milli Bros' to 'Whip You With a Strap' (featuring a Dilla-selected riff) to 'Back Like That' to 'Be Easy' to 'Jellyfish' (ever notice how good he is at writing rap love songs?), this album is packed with hits. It easily enters the top 10 of Wu albums.


    4) TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
    TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me video TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me (video)
    Listening to this album can be a daunting task, even for those familiar with their debut LP. The soundscape is complex as guitars sound almost foreign next to clashing electronics, varied sampled and live drums, and haunting vocals. TVOTR is moving experimental rock forward into new and exciting territory. The influence of David Bowie (who contributes vocals on 'Province') and the Talking Heads is evident in their unique sound. The album starts with "I Was a Lover", an electronic dirge that mourns the complexity of modern love. Lyrics like "Ennui unbridled, let's talk to kill the time/How many styles did you cycle through before you were mine?" add lyrical depth to an already musically complicated song. By the time you get to 'Wolf Like Me', you begin to realize what a special album this is.


    3) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion video Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion (video)
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts video Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts (video)
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Turn Into video Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Turn Into (video)
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Honeybear video Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Honeybear (BBC live video)
    It seems that many critics and even some fans are divided on this album. Personally, I don't see what's not to like. The album is certainly a grower. I didn't think much of it when I first heard it, probably because I was slightly caught off-guard by their evolved sound. Sure, it is more introspective and certainly not as hard as 'Fever to Tell'. However, I wouldn't say Karen O is holding back and I would hesitate to call it subdued. While there's nothing that emotionally jolts you like "Maps", there is more consistency overall on this album. The lo-fi edge is smoothed out but Karen O's raw energy is still a potent force.


    2) Lily Allen - Alright Still
    Lily Allen - LDN video Lily Allen - LDN (video)
    Lily Allen - Smile video Lily Allen - Smile (video)
    Lily Allen - Littlest Things video Lily Allen - Littlest Things (video)
    This debut is the most fun my ears have had in a while. It's a testament to the power of the Internet and, dare I say it, Myspace-based promotion. To go from virtual unknown to #1 in the UK with mostly internet-based promotional channels would have been unheard of even 3 years ago. Her sound is an ambitious blend of hip-hop, pop, and ska. I ate up her demos and mixtapes earlier this year and looked forward to this album, whose bouncy, cheery sound belies a dark undercurrent: the thoughts of a street-smart, spiteful 21-year old girl who's not to be f*cked with.

    AND NUMBER ONE

    Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
    Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rise Up With Fists mp3 music download Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rise Up With Fists | Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rise Up With Fists video (video)
    Jenny Lewis - You Are What You Love video Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - You Are What You Love (London Live video)
    As much as I love Rilo Kiley, I feel like Jenny Lewis more than holds her own without her usual bandmates on her debut solo album. In fact, her vocal talent is spotlighted on this LP whereas on previous Rilo Kiley releases, her contributions somehow seemed limited by the indie rock formula. This is a heartfelt tribute to her folk and country influences and the backing vocals by the Watson Twins really complement her nicely. 'Rise Up With Fists' and 'You Are What You Love' won't seem to ever leave my playlist.

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DJMonsterMo | 11:13 PM | View Comments »