#1 Favorite Album: SO FAR GONE by DRAKE Downloaded this early this year and it never left my iPod, which is a big deal considering a turn it over every 2 weeks. I love this album. I'm probably never taking it off. So that's that.
#2 Song We'll Remember from 2009: EMPIRE STATE OF MIND by JAY-Z, Featuring Alicia Keys The song is epic. It's about New York, which is America. It's a big up to everyone from the corner to courtside. You can get into it if you're a pop fan or hip hop head ("Jeezy's paying LeBron, I'm paying Dwyane Wade"). There's a bitterness you can't get in every pop song about achieving your dreams. This year's "Lose Yourself."
#3 Favorite Rap Song: EXHIBIT C by JAY ELECTRONICA I usually end up skipping past a lot of music. I will listen to songs once and that's it. It's just by virture of ending up listening to everything from bluegrass to gangsta rap. I probably listened to this song at least 25 times. Honest and visual. It's got one of the best beats anyone's made in the past 10 years. People are rhyming over it and can't eclipse the original. You can't even say that about the Millie beat which Jigga murdered. No hook. No shame. No swagger. Rap music can be more than just rhyming and this song is proof.
#4 Favorite Rock Song: TREAT ME LIKE YOUR MOTHER by THE DEAD WEATHER It's just a grimey, evil, beat you up, spit you out, leave you in the gutter rock song. It completely changes in the middle. It is strange and sadistic, a little loving. Longing for a hug while kicking. Love this whole album.
#5 Favorite Top 40 Song: I CAN TRANSFORM YA by CHRIS BROWN Featuring LIL WAYNE, SWIZZ BEATS One of my friends said it best the other day:
He seems like a jerk, I don't subscribe to his politics, but Chris Brown makes a DANG catchy song.That's about right. Most of the credit probably goes to Swizzy, but this is a song that is going to stick around for a little while.
#6 Favorite Love Song: LOW RISING by SWELL SEASON Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard made their first appearance last year in ONCE, the independent musical. (A movie I loved.) They ended up dating and working together as the band "Swell Season." Glen, the songwriter, wrote a whole bunch of love songs that they perform together on tour and on their album. I watched to an interview where it was revealed the Marketa had ZERO idea that she was singing a whole bunch of songs about how Glen was feeling about her. I don't know if she's dense or something, but YOU'RE DATING A SINGER/SONGWRITER!!!
#7 Favorite Duet: RELATOR by PETE YORN and SCARLETT JOHANSSON It's like salt and chocolate... you expect to hate it but one taste and you end up wondering how you've gone so long without it. Clearly Pete Yorn is the driving force behind the song, with a clever set of guitar hook, a surprisingly deep lyrics and a candy coat over the pop music. This is just a great song that got into my nightly set.
#8 Favorite Dance Song: ANYWAY by DUCK SAUCE Armand van Helden and A-Trak combined to reinvent disco music this year and will release a full length album in 2010. This song made me do that sour face when I heard it. Listen to it with a pair of speakers that can handle the bass and you'll know why.
#9 Favorite Independent Artist: LYKKE LI I don't care if she didn't release more than 3 songs this 2009... it's when I'm discovering her that counts. From Sweden, she has a very minimalistic, bohemian approach to her music that comes off very genuine and raw. I like it a lot. I don't think she's ever going to puncture the mainstream music scene, save maybe for one single here and there. But she's got a good sense of how to leverage the internet, likes performing and I'm looking forward to more material.
