Oh My, '09!

2010 is almost upon us and, since I may not have access to a computer on New Year's Eve, I'm posting my playlist for the best of 2009.

This is not a Top 10 list in the sense that the songs are ranked. Like its predecessors (O Mc 7 and Mixtape '08), Oh My, '09! is meant to be listened to all the way through, as a continual playlist. The songs are assembled in such a way as to fit on a single CD and to flow. In this case you'll see a flowing transition from rap songs to rock songs. Unfortunately, because of this limited format not all the songs can fit.

What follows is an extended version of the Oh My, '09! playlist. All of the songs would not fit on a single CD as planned so if you try and build your own Oh My, '09! not all of the music will fit on the CD (Gogol Bordello's Troubled Friends has been omitted from the official hardcopy, which is being released to absolutely no one).

So here are my favorite songs from 2009! I encourage you listen to them all if you haven't already.

1. "Yes" by LMFAO from Party Rock

This song has to be one of the funniest songs of the year. Probably the perfect party song, "Yes" details the larger than life rap star lives of Redfoo and Sky Blu. This track pokes fun at the whole rap image, placing goofy lyrics over a cliched synthetic beat.

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2. "Ghost Dance Deluxe" by Felt from Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez

While "Yes" treads on familiar hip-hop territory, this song by rap trio Slug, Murs, and Aesop Rock follows a darker muse. Murs and Slug confess their love affairs with female ghosts, accompanied perfectly by Aesop Rock's murky and haunted production.

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3. "Auditorium" by Mos Def, featuring the Ruler, from The Ecstatic

On this track Mos Def meditates on his life and the times over a Middle Eastern-tinged retro R&B beat. While "Auditorium" isn't the catchiest track off of The Ecstatic, it receives a boost from the Ruler's humorous (albeit a bit condescending) glimpse into the hard life of a soldier in Iraq.

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4. "Spacious Thoughts" by NASA, featuring Tom Waits and Kool Keith from The Spirit of Apollo

This song was perhaps my favorite surprise of 2009. NASA's funky backbeats and cacophonous clang meld perfectly with the duel between rapper Kool Keith and musical mystery man Tom Waits. Waits is absolutely terrific on this track, in all of his gritty, growling glory. Here he proves that no genre is off limits to him.

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5. "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z, featuring Alicia Keys from The Blueprint 3

Alright, I had a deep debate with myself about including this song because, well I just don't like Jay-Z. He's extremely overrated in my opinion. And while his verse isn't very good on this track ("De Niro" doesn't rhyme with "forever") I have to admit that it has a really good hook. But I think that's mostly due to Alicia Keys.

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6. "100 Little Curses" by Street Sweeper Social Club from Street Sweeper Social Club

The team-up between Tom Morello and rapper Boots Riley seemed like a dream come true to me, unfortunately it seems they'll never imitate the power or passion of Rage Against the Machine. Regardless, it's great to hear Morello rock out again.

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7. "Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)" by P.O.S.

This punk-infused hip-hop track has an urgency and furiosity that is undeniable. P.O.S.'s machine-gun lyrical delivery is probably one of the best of the year.

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8. "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend from Cousins

Taking a much lighter turn, "Cousins" is a very fun song that exposes Vampire Weekend's slightly silly side. Since this song is due to be released on the album Contra in January, this catchy number might gain the distinction of being the first song to appear on one my playlists two years in a row.

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9. "Heartilation" by Andrew Jackson Jihad from Can't Maintain

Singer Sean Bonnette rips his heart out this track, exposing his neuroses with self-deprecating wit. But as he sings "There's no one to love, no one to trust in my life", one can't help but tap their foot to the rocking anti-folk sound

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10. "King Rat" by Modest Mouse from No One's First, and You're Next

Though "King Rat" is a B-side for the 2007 album We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, it truly deserved to be a single. This song is perhaps my favorite song of the year. The music is great and Isaac Brock's vocal delivery is absolute gold.

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11. "Lucinda - Ain't Goin' Down" by Tom Waits from Glitter And Doom Live

Although it may seem a bit odd to include a track from a live album, I feel it's deserving since this performance is a complete transformation of two song from 2006's Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards. Waits took a stripped-down song that was driven by some rough beat boxing and a tremolo country blues tune, and combined them with a full band to create a whole new sound.

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12. "Watching the Planets" by The Flaming Lips from Embryonic

On Embryonic, the Flaming Lips really embraced a new sound, ditching the happy pop sound for a darker, rougher sound. Embryonic is my favorite album of the year for the sounds and grooves that the Flaming Lips found in the dark and dirty places they explore. The music video features Wayne Coyne in his trademark plastic bubble, surrounded by a whole lot of naked people. Crazy naked people. Well at least it's not Christmas on Mars.

Watch Here (Viewer Discretion Advised)

13. "Lithium" by The Bad Plus from For All I Care (with Wendy Lewis)

The pop-savvy avant-garde jazz trio teamed up with indie rocker Wendy Lewis to cover Nirvana's "Lithium" and did a great job with it. Dissonance and added beats make for a lurching, stumbling interpretation that suits the lyrics perfectly.

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(14... not on the CD). "Troubled Friends" by Gogol Bordello from Live from Axis Mundi

This is not Gogol Bordello's best song (it's an outtake from a 2005 recording session) but it's still a fun song.

Check it out Here

15. "I'll Fight" by Wilco from Wilco (The Album)

Wilco's latest album was great and this song of love and sacrifice was the stand-out track for me. The lyrics are timeless (although I think of WWII) and its sound is understated.

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16. "Oscar Wilde" by Company of Thieves from Ordinary Riches

On this song, Genevieve Schatz sweet and stylized singing is supported perfectly by Marc Walloch's flexible guitar playing. It's a fine pop song and a light listen, but it's dynamic variation avoids cliche.

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17. "No Line On the Horizon" by U2, from No Line On the Horizon

Sometimes I feel that U2 may be running low on creative juices, but here they seem to be holding it together. My favorite part of this song is how the second verse picks up with the introduction of the second drum part.

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18. "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" by Radiohead from Harry Patch (In Memory Of)

This song was released online as a memorial to the death of the last surviving British veteran of WWI. While it's not my favorite Radiohead song, it has a beautiful (and deceptively soothing) string arrangement.

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19. "United States of Eurasia / Collateral Damage (Excerpt from Nocturne in E-Flat, Op. 9 No. 2)" by Muse from The Resistance

One of the challenges of putting this playlist together was deciding which Muse song to include because their new album was pretty good. In the end I went with this one (of course it's the one with the longest name) because it's the most interesting. Muse manage to combine Queen, Ravel, and (literally) Chopin into one song, which is no small feat.

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So there you have it. That's Oh My, '09! now go listen to some music.

Movies: Sherlock Holmes

Guy Ritchie's newest film was a blast. Robert Downey, Jr. is cast masterfully as the prankish title character, partnered perfectly with Jude Law as the stern and stalwart Watson. The movie's script takes the buddy-action comedy to a new level, putting Holmes and Watson in a dysfunctional bromance. Downey and Law's chemistry is great which, combined with great action and a good mystery, make for an awesome film (with a great soundtrack by Hans Zimmer). Though neither Downey or Law (especially Law) don't conjure up traditional images of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, this is perhaps for the better, for a bold revision of a classic. Now, with the possibility of a sequel waiting on the horizon, it's no mystery that Robert Downey, Jr. will continue to make some serious money.

Stickball

Top Videos of 2009

So it's nearing the end of the year and Oh My, '09! is almost ready for release. But since there's time between now and New Year's, I'd like to take this chance to go over my favorite music videos of 2009.

At the top of the list is "Spacious Thoughts" by NASA, featuring Kool Keith and Tom Waits. The animation for this music video is top notch, featuring vibrant splashes of color splayed violently over a gritty urban landscape.

The next video on my list, another animated video, is for "King Rat" by Modest Mouse. This video, directed by the late Heath Ledger, is composed of rough animatic animation. The video, which depicts a crew of whales hunting for humans in the ocean, is provocative but also extremely disturbing.

Next up is the video for "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend which is just a lot of fun to watch and, like the video for "Oxford Comma" seems to celebrate the band's love of film.

The last video I'd like to acknowledge is for "Oscar Wilde" by Company of Thieves. This quirky video, which was what originally drew me to Company of Thieves, is a homage to Wes Anderson's film, Rushmore.

Album Review: "Felt: A Tribute to Rosie Perez" by Felt

When I first learned that rap duo Felt was a team-up between Murs and Slug, my curiosity was piqued. When I learned that Aesop Rock was doing production for their latest release, Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez, I was hooked in. Aesop Rock is my favorite rapper, not only because he is a great lyricist, but also because of the music under his rhymes. While Blockhead does the majority of the production on Aesop Rock’s albums, Aesop Rock can hold his own and his sound is unmistakable. No one makes beats like Aesop Rock and he creates some of the most interesting and complex rap music out there. I took a quick listen to previous Felt albums and the production overall seemed solid and pretty standard. But it was just that: pretty standard. So, needless to say, I went into this album with high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed.

The album opens with “Protagonists”, a fairly standard hype track where Murs boasts “Who made you want to rap and be independent? /It’s Felt, motherfuckers if you want to come and get it.” Though not the brightest track on the album lyrically, “Protagonists” serves as a preview of Aesop Rock’s production for the rest of the album: rock beats mixed with synths and absurd samples.

The Felt trio begin to hit their stride with the thumping “Bass for Your Truck”, which drives forward, leading into the slightly unsettling “Like You”. Next comes “Permanent Standby”, a track that proves to be one of the best on the album. The lyrics tell the tragedy of a misguided girl drifting from city to city, from drug to drug. The straightforward lyrics are laid perfectly over a relatively sparse beat, punctuated by menacing guitar feedback.

My favorite song on the album is “Ghost Dance Deluxe”, a trip off the beaten path where the guys from Felt confess their love for phantom female. Murky synths and faraway trumpets accompany Murs as he declares, “Forget material girls I need a paranormal chick from an ethereal world.”

For the rest of the album Felt moves back and forth between standard material like the hype tracks “She Sonnet” and “Felt Good”, and more interesting fare like “Henrietta Longbottom”, where Murs and Slugs trade absurd tall tales of the eponymous character. For the most part, Felt 3 is entertaining and catchy. However, Aesop Rock’s production is a bit of an acquired taste, since his beats can be too dense for their own good. An example of this is “We Have You Surrounded”, where the music is pushed way up front and almost completely drowns out the vocals.

Another issue with this album is that it is very long. At over an hour long with 21 tracks, Felt 3 can be a trial to get through, and it is probably Felt’s least accessible album. However, it definitely worth a listen to any rap connoisseur, and fans of Murs, Slug, and/or Aesop rock will certainly find something to enjoy.

Check out Felt online here

Music News

So, I just saw an article online that said Flea was joining in with the Rage Against The Machine campaign which got my attention because I had just mentioned both in the same article. "What a coincidence!" Turns out the article had nothing to do with the whole fight against X Factor and it was an article about Flea releasing a line of bass guitars. Completely irrelevant to Rage but cool nonetheless.

Also, there is already backlash against Rage Against the Machine's radio appearance but methinks it's just some people trying to stay ahead of the hip curve.

Also, did not know Flea was a hobo.

Music News

So some things seem to be happening to two faded bands by which I mean Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine. The Chili Peppers seem to be disintegrating while Rage may see a revitalization.

Today, NME ran an article that revealed that guitarist John Frusciante has left the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which is a shame for me because Frusciante's playing was the principal reason

I listen to the Peppers. RHCP's best albums were marked by Frusciante's involvement, starting with their breakout Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Frusciante left the band after that and was replaced by Dave Navarro for the mediocre One Hot Minute. Frusciante rejoined the band in 1999 for Californication, the album that would solidify the Chili Pepper's popularity.

It seems to me that Frusciante's departure is a nail in the Chili Pepper's coffin. In 2006, RHCP released their last album, Stadium Arcadium (the band's most critically successful album), and then went on tour. Following the tour the band went on hiatus, starting in 2007. Drummer Chad Smith went to play with Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani in the band Chickenfoot and bassist Flea did live shows with Thom Yorke. However, according to Chad Smith, the Chili Peppers have been in the studio since October so we'll see what becomes of the band. Frusciante is reportedly going to be replaced by friend and multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer.

So while the Red Hot Chili Peppers are seeing some potentially devastating changes, Rage Against the Machine is seeing a bit of a comeback, according to another article by NME. Today, Rage appeared live on Radio 5 in the UK, playing their song "Killing in the Name". The reason for their appearance is that a campaign has been started (via Facebook) to get "Killing in the Name" to the Christmas Number One slot on the UK Singles Chart in order to beat out the main contender, X Factor winner Joe McElderry's cover of Miley Cyrus' "The Climb".

The campaign started as a grassroots protest against the commercialization of the UK music industry, specifically in response to the fact that the Christmas Number One slot has been dominated for the last four years by the winners of the popular singing show, X Factor. The campaign has been getting results as the "Killing in the Name" leads "The Climb" by 36,681 copies.

While Simon Cowell has come out against the movement, defending Joe McElderry, it seems to me that Cowell is only protecting his interests. It seems laughable that he could truly care about a product of his pop singer fabrication machine. It also seems absolutely ludicrous that the single is a cover of a Miley Cyrus song that was released earlier this year. I mean, really? Is that the best the pop industry can do? Give us a rehash of a song we just heard? It's almost as if they're spitting in the public's face, as though Simon Cowell is sneering and daring the audience to refuse to buy his crap.

Though they did not have any part in organizing the movement, the members of Rage say they support the significance behind the campaign and are "honored" that their song was chosen. They have announced that the proceeds from the sales of their single will be donated to a charity called Shelter that aids the homeless.

Their appearance on the Radio 5 was made in support of the campaign and, in classic Rage style, caused controversy when, despite being asked to play an edited version of their song, decided to keep to the original. Yes, Zach de la Rocha screamed "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" on live radio. I would expect no less.

Following a series of reunion performances in 2007 and 2008, it seems that Rage is still relevant and active in one form or another. However, despite the possibility of future performances together, the band still says they have no intention of producing another album.

Music You Should Listen To: Watsky

So I just learned recently that Emerson student and slam poet George Watsky has recently released a rap album. I haven't had a chance to give it a good listen but I've heard one song, "Who's Been Loving You?" and I have to say it's pretty catchy. It combines Watsky's usual self-awareness and pop culture perception with some sweet beats. Watch Watsky relive his childhood in the official music video.

Stickball

Stickball

BSO Bad Mo'Fo'

So last night I watched the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform. The program that I saw included Debussy's "Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune", Stravinsky's ballet suite from The Firebird, and Brahm's Violin Concerto in D. Now, while all the pieces proved to be equally enjoyable in different ways, the violin concerto proved to be the highlight of the night. The reason for this was because I was able to witness the incredible playing of Joshua Bell, who was the guest soloist for the orchestra. Joshua Bell is an award-winning violinist and has been in the classical limelight since his debut at age 14. However, he is most well known in recent years for taking part in a social experiment where he played his violin in a busy subway. The result was that most people did not stop to listen to the world-class violinist.

Anyway, it's apparent that some people aren't impressed by his skills but I sure am, and I consider myself lucky that I was able to hear him play. After the program ended, he came back out and stage and played a virtuosic rendition of "Yankee Doodle" and it was really cool. Check this video of him doing it at the Hollywood Bowl. OMG left hand pizzicato.

P.S.

If Joshua Bell ever pulled a Final Fantasy it might just make my head explode.