I should be raving about how awesome it is to be living in the year 2007. But instead I’m lamenting one of the other purchases I made on Wednesday—Joanna Newsom’s Have One on Me.

I don’t know why I picked it up.

Actually I do. I picked it up because of the ton of hype surrounding it. I’d seen her name in Paste and Entertainment Weekly. Plus The Music Slut totally cosigned her. And I’m always curious when “artists” have ambitions that can’t be contained in a single disc.

But man, Have One on Me is not for me. Let me see if I can pinpoint what exactly rubs me the wrong way… Um, everything? She’s got a voice that can be described as “interesting” but not really engaging. I find her arrangements and lyrics to be overdone. I just find the whole thing to be sort of pretentious, which is odd because I’m usually a fan of pretentiousness. But here it just feels wrong.

That disastrous trial got me thinking about other leaps that I’ve taken with similar results.

UNKLE – War Stories
I loved Psyence Fiction. In fact, if I had been writing in 1998 it probably would have been my number one album that year. So, when I heard that they were releasing something else, I figured I’d try it out.

But a DJ Shadow-less UNKLE is a scary and sad thing. It’s sad because it takes a crap on the legacy of an album that I hold dear to my heart, and it’s scary because it shows just how naïve I really am.

Jim Jones – Harlem: Diary of Summer
I love Cam’ron. And in 2005 I was halfway through my Las Vegas experiment. Apparently I was really missing the East Coast, because how else could you explain my purchasing of this album? I never hopped on the Dipset bandwagon and I never really cared for Jim Jones (he always felt like a louder, less talented, less entertaining Dame Dash.)

Yet I have this album. And it haunts me to this very day.

Skillz – Confessions of a Ghostwriter
Again, apparently 2005 was a dark period in my life because it’s also when I picked up this album. In my defense, Skillz puts out an awesome song every year (his yearly wrap-up) which is more than most emcees can say.

But it doesn’t sound that far-fetched; he’s a talented emcee he should be able to put a decent album out. The only thing that keeps this album from being disappointing is that no one had high expectations for it.

Lloyd Banks – The Hunger for More
In 2004, everyone seemed to be head-over-heels for G-Unit and 50 Cent—everyone except me. And since I’d heard that Lloyd was a spitter, I figured I’d try out his album, despite my finding 50’s debut to be underwhelming.

I’ve never felt dirtier in my life, and I’ve stolen candy from babies and had sex in a church. Possessing this album is like my scarlet letter. It’s the cross that I bear to remind me of when I was too weak to stand up for my own convictions.

And now Joanna Newsom joins the list of skeletons in my musical closet.

It’s times like this that I wished that I drank, so at least I could blame it on being drunk.
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I was hanging out with my friend as he went to pick up his kids from school. Now since his kids are in preschool and elementary school, there’s really nothing on the radio for them to listen to. It sucks and I empathize with his plight.

I mean, this is my former roommate—my best friend, with whom I initially bonded over our admiration for The Lox. He’s from New York. He lives and breathes hip-hop, but he’s a parent, so he’s got to pay attention to what his kids are absorbing.

Anyway, I’ll toss together a random mix, burn it and throw it his way from time to time. (Incidentally, he shares his birthday with my coworker.) Sometimes I’ll make a mix of songs that I know he’s been dying to hear and other times I’ll make it a theme. Since it was has birthday, for instance, I created a Cake mix.

Get it? “Birthday.” “Cake.”

However, it turns out that when he’s in the car with the kids, he puts on a CD full of songs meant to inspire. If I recall correctly I dubbed it the “Optimix Prime”. It’s full of quirky songs and more than handful of TV theme songs. It’s a pretty light and fun mix.

We’re all in the car and he says, “Check this out,” at which point he puts the disc on. And I kid you not, the kids knew Peggy Lee’s “It’s a Good Day”, by heart. His eldest is seven years old and his youngest is going to be three. His eldest knew every word to the song and the youngest was vocalizing along to the instrumental solos.

I was bugging.

I mean, we’re talking about a song that’s six decades old and two kids who are only going to know about the 20th Century from history books. Not to mention the fact that he and I just happened to stumble across the song by accident (via the criminally underrated U-Turn.) I could barely wrap my head around it. It seemed like a juxtaposition that would ring false if you saw it in a movie or a TV show, yet it was happening right in front of me.

I did my best to keep my composure, because (a) I didn’t want the kids to realize that they were being observed, and (b) I didn’t want them to become self-conscious. But it was such a pure moment.

And then the cherry on top was that they were also fans of the theme to Greatest American Hero. That took me back because I can remember being around that age and totally slayed when I heard it on the radio.

This happened hours ago and I’m still buzzing about it. I don’t know what it did to me. I don’t know if I’m happy that they’re being exposed to music that doesn’t suck and are receptive to it, or if I’m extrapolating to be optimistic about their entire generation. All I know is that it completely made my day and probably my weekend too.
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Oh, and she gave me the name for my vanity band when I’m a celebrity: Jumpsuit Sweatpants.

It stemmed from her constant inability to spit out a name. For instance, when asking if I’d heard a new song by a female singer songwriter her description was “y’know, the one who cut her hair” (The answer: Norah Jones).

So when we were talking about the Katy Perry/Russell Brand coupling, I remarked that I was surprised that she broke up with her ex. I was struggling to come up with his name and in an effort to aid me she said “oh, the guy from Jumpsuit Sweatpants.” At which point I promptly burst out laughing. It was the funniest thing I’d heard that day and it stuck with me.

Since her birthday is on Sunday I figured I’d make her mix and she requested songs by females. Here is that mix:

Rilo Kiley – “Silver Lining”
I’m a sucker for songs about breakups, that lack remorse. Jenny sounds so darn cold in this song that it’s downright sexy.

Dirty Projectors – “Stillness is the Move”
I’m still not sick of this song and this is the song that put me down with the group. I love the harmonies and off-kilter melody. This might be my new “if you don’t dig this song, you’re suspect” song.

Tegan & Sara – “On Directing”
I really like the kinetic energy in this song; it’s almost boundless. Plus, I doubt that she’s heard Tegan & Sara, and I think this would be a good introduction.

Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins – “Rise Up with Fists!!!”
This is practically my old standby. I really like the song and I’m pretty sure that everyone who hears it will at least appreciate it.

Neko Case – “I’m an Animal”
I feel in love with Middle Cyclone last year. This song is one of the strongest on the album. Sure it’s brief, but it’s packed with emotion.

The Watson Twins – “I’m an Animal”
I really wanted to include some of their solo work (wait, does that even make sense?) plus I’m really digging this song via my latest Paste sampler.

Norah Jones – “Ocean of Noise”
I’m an Arcade Fire fan, and I really think that Norah does the song justice. Her breathy vocals add a seductive quality missing from the original, and her band does a stellar job of backing her.

Tegan & Sara – “Nineteen”
I selected the version from The Con Demos because I think that the rougher edge really adds something to the song. Again, I’m pretty much trying to sell her on every artist, and this song seems very saleable.

The Cardigans – “In the Round”
I’m pretty sure that she, like 99% of people, thinks that The Cardigans faded into obscurity after their one hit. Hopefully this will show her that they’re still making quality songs.

Laura Veirs – “Life is Good Blues”
I’ve been listening to this song a lot lately and I’m really feeling it. It met the “female” criterion, so it made the cut.

Jill Andrews – “City Noise”
Ditto.

Jenny Lewis – “Pelican Bay”
I love this b-side. I love the seen-it-all jadedness in her vocals and the unique subject matter.

Feist – “The Water”
I chose the demo version of this song, again, for the rawness. I like the melancholy that the starkness evokes. The album version comes close to being overproduced, which takes something away from it.

She & Him – “Take it Back”
Y’know, upon listening to this song I really hope that my 100-percent platonic friend doesn’t get the wrong idea about this mix. This song may have been a mistake.

Fiona Apple – “O’Sailor”
This is one of my favorite Fiona songs. This song is so great that I love both versions of it, the leaked and the album. Also, I know that she digs Fiona.

Norah Jones – “Back to Manhattan”
I think that this song plays to Norah’s strengths with its forlorn lyrics and sense of longing. It’s a great break-up record.

The Cardigans – “If There Is a Chance”
Once again, I’m trying to prove that the Cardigans have a pulse.

Feist – “La Sirena”
I’m pretty sure that she’s never head Feist’s debut album, so even if she’s a fan, this will be a treat.

Amy Winehouse – “What it is”
Surprise, it’s another demo version. I know for a fact that she’s never heard Frank, but that she dig’s Amy. Hopefully this will open her ears a bit more.

Norah Jones – “Man of the Hour”
My friend is a dog lover, so I thought that this would be cute little way to end the mix.

Personally I think that it’s a pretty solid mix. I mean, I definitely invested enough time to make this count as a well thought out gift.

I just hope that she thinks so. Ah, I know she will…
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But what’s weird is that in the five days that I’ve been snowed in, I haven’t really listened to too much music. I’m really trying to figure out why that is and I’m sort of at a loss.

I mean, I always listen to a base amount of music; every night before I turn in I put five discs on repeat. And when I wake up, I generally continue listening until the disc changes and then I begin my day, so that much of my routine survived the snow.

But the majority of my conscious listening is done when I’m traveling to and from work. And since I didn’t work, I didn’t use that time listening to music. In fact, the closest I came to listening to music while battling cabin fever was organizing my CDs. Before I’d gone on my recent vacation I’d put a ton of music on my laptop and I never bothered to return the CDs (and cases) to their rightful place. I literally had stacks of CDs just lying around my room.

I think that part of the problem is that I haven’t picked up anything new all year. It’s not that there aren’t albums out that I want to buy – there are. It’s really just that the month of January was pretty cold and I didn’t really feel like going out of my way to spend money I didn’t need to spend. Thus far, the first quarter hasn’t produced anything that I absolutely need to listen to.

Another part of the problem is that there’s a competition for my attention when it comes to discs. I recently picked up The Shield complete-series set and I’ve been working my way though it. I was a fan of the show when it aired, so getting to revisit seasons and get behind-the-scenes tidbits like commentary and documentaries is a true treat. Truth be told, I spent quite a bit of time blowing through the fourth season.

Added to that is that the Six Feet Under series set that I’d ordered last week arrived on Tuesday. Pretty much everything I said about The Shield is applicable here, too, except I’ve just begun the first season.

And even thought I haven’t been able to get to the comic shop this week, I’ve still got a ton of comics that I brought with me from my visit to Tucson. So I’ve had plenty of things to keep me busy and distracted from being trapped in a house due to a ton of snow. Sadly ,it’s really nothing music-related.

Yeah, I’m really at a loss when it comes to music content this week. I did enjoy listening to a lot of Doves albums in my various states of consciousness; they really did provide the soundtrack to my dreams and allow me to wake up peacefully. I replaced them with some of Beck’s albums last night, and he seems to be doing equally well. Oh, and I listened to the two most recent Paste magazine samplers; they had some good stuff there. And as I type this I’m listening to Gilles Peterson’s J-Dilla tribute show.

On the plus side, I go back to work tomorrow, so I’ll get back into my routine of listening to music. And I’m sure that next week, weather permitting; I’ll have a column devoted to something musical.

So here’s my belated “Ten Best Albums of 2009” (as always, in alphabetical order).

Wale – Attention Deficit
Yes, some of the songs that didn’t make the cut would have been the album stronger, but Wale’s debut isn’t weak by any stretch of the imagination. The trademark wit is there, and so is the lyricism and thought provoking content. Attention Deficit also features some left-of-center producers, some of whom really deserve to be noticed. Wale is one of the few “next big things” in recent memory that actually comes close to delivering on the promise. And Wale gets huge props for keeping the go-go-inspired beats.

Blakroc – Blakroc
Did the world really need another rap-rock album? Not really, but that doesn’t make Blakroc’s self-titled debut any less enjoyable. On paper Damon Dash teaming with Black Keys sounds absurd, but in reality, is an album that feels true to both visions. The beats have appropriate grit and grime and the lyrics don’t depress. Seriously, any album that boasts Jim Jones rhymes that are actually worth listening to has got to have some serious mojo.

The Dead Weather – Horehound
Another year… another awesome Jack White side project. The true start of The Dead Weather is Alison Mosshart. Her voice is haunting, like a character in a horror movie warning of danger or evil spirits—there’s so much experience there and it’s mesmerizing. If Jack White is involved, so are the blues, but with The Dead Weather, White seems more focused on vibe than tradition. Horehound is full of tunes that, despite being foreboding, never skimp on the rocking.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
Not that there’s anything wrong with being art-rockers, but on It’s Blitz!, it finally sounds like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are having fun, and it’s refreshing. The album is full of songs that provide an excellent soundtrack to activities that work up a sweat, be it via dancing, exercising or even bedroom activities. It’s Blitz! is overflowing with energy and it’s the best kind of energy… the contagious kind.

J-Dilla – Jay Stay Paid
Thankfully, Jay Stay Paid wasn’t a cash grab trying to milk Dilla fans of their money. Instead it’s a fitting tribute full of “donuts” and emcees spitting over Dilla beats. There are even candid moments of Dilla and those remembering him. Of course, the album also serves as a reminder that Dilla’s gone and there’s only a finite amount of his material left.

Doves – Kingdom of Rust
If there’s one thing that Doves know to convey, it’s melancholy. They make music that sad, but never oppressively dreary. Kingdom of Rust is no exception. Their musical tapestry is more fleshed out and the songs have more layers than previous outings. For instance, the title track has a hint of rockabilly, which only makes it more mournful. Still, there are fewer bands that make better music for train rides and overcast afternoons.

Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
This is alt-country from Canada, and it works. Anthropomorphism rarely works, especially on meteorological events, yet somehow Neko Case pulls it off. With her powerful voice full of lamentation and yearning, she manages to capture both attention and imagination. Even the briefest songs are still full of emotion. This is an album that makes the listener feel alive.

Sa-Ra Creative Partners – Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love
It may not be Black Fuzz, but it’s still Sa-Ra. The spacey/funky production, the acid trip lyrics, the sonic journeys that warp the mind to the point that one could actually get lost in the songs, are still present. Sa-Ra makes music that makes altered states seem desirable. Nuclear Evolution is an excellent way to spend a couple of hours, just listening to artists create as opposed to artists trying to sell.

Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Linx… Pt. II
Raekwon did something that seemed impossible: he delivered a successful sequel, to a classic album, over a decade after the original was released. Cuban Linx II managed to capture both the energy and aesthetic of a bygone era. None of the guest stars seemed out of place. More so, the guest producers fill the album with era-perfect beats. Cuban Linx II is a reminder of when hip-hop was great, and reminds us of what hip-hop’s missing now. This was, hands down, 2009’s greatest musical accomplishment.

Tegan & Sara – Sainthood
As a general rule, albums devoted to the concept of love are either going to be great or cliché; Sainthood is the former. Love is never easy for Tegan or Sara yet their conflicts produce such great songs. It’s actually a treat to listen to them struggle. The sisters continue to produce songs with content that’s concise, yet never feels like it’s lacking. For an album that’s generally about the dark side of love, Sainthood is also full of immensely catchy songs.

There you have it, my top ten albums of 2009. I just hope it was worth the wait.
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But what’s funny is that now, twelve hours later, I don’t feel quite as strongly. I got sucker-punched by reality. It was the sort of hit that causes you to reevaluate things and really take stock. Unfortunately it’s got nothing to do with music, so I won’t dwell on it here.

Instead, I want to attack the current musical climate, yet again.

See, one of the things that I brought back with me from my trip back home to Tucson was Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992. It’s a pretty dope boxed set that features my favorite band name of all time: Dynamic Superiors.

How awesome is that name? I bet they put on a hell of a show.

Anyway, back to the thing that struck me. While listening to the four-disc set (which has been in my player for about a week) I noticed how Rick James’ offering seemed to be the anomaly; his risqué references really stand out among the songs. Which isn’t to say that his songs are any less classic, they’re just a bit rough around the edges compared to the other stuff.

But that made me realize how far the paradigm has shifted in the past few decades. Rick James Motown stuff would seem tame compared to what’s getting played on the radio today. What the music scene has lost are songs that a whole family can enjoy.

I have a friend who’s got two daughters and occasionally I’m in the car with them as a whole. It’s equal parts hysterical and depressing watching him scan the radio for songs that aren’t meant for adult ears. Generally it’s funny, mostly because I’m child-free. But listening to young Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and even Boys, Another Bad Creation and Shanice really reminded me of how much more pure things were just over fifteen years ago.

I mean the Boys were asking a girl to “dial my heart” and Shanice was singing about a smile. ABC maybe were making moves beyond their years, but really, the date consisted of cereal and video games. And these songs were hits. Could you imagine a hit song as innocent as that in this day and age?

If I had to blame anyone, I’d blame Jodeci. They were the first to fully merge the rough edges of hip-hop with the smoothness of R&B, and things have never been the same since. They almost singlehandedly ruined modern R&B.

But I also blame Disney. Just like “the sitcom a family can enjoy” has been killed and replaced by network sitcoms and Disney/Nick sitcoms, the musical subgenre of child singers has been whole fully co-opted by the House of Mouse. The Jonas Brothers are basically just the Boys in a better package. And you couldn’t have (another) Another Bad Creation without having Mickey’s four-fingered glove prints all over them.

And this isn’t a call for censorship; I’m all for freedom of speech. I’m a huge Prince fan and you don’t get more risqué than him.

My beef is that most of the R&B/pop artists in the past fifteen years have focused their energies on being clever and pushing the envelope rather than being good. And to me, that’s a shame.
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But I’m torn. I’m all for good music and I enjoy trends as much as the next guy, it’s just that Vampire Weekend still seems like a ton of hype and I’m not really one to buy into hype.

Plus, I feel like I’ve heard their stuff before. And I sort of have.

I can vividly remember when Paul Simon’s Graceland was released, not because I was waiting rabidly for the release, but rather because it was an immensely popular album. My mom and dad had it and played the record(!) a lot. My aunts and uncles were also fans. Plus Paul Simon hadn’t gotten rid of his toupee yet, so he was still relatively popular.

I can remember all the fuss about Paul Simon using African musicians and rhythms on the album and the proclamation of how revolutionary it was. White America had gotten a taste for Africa and they liked it.

To be fair Africa was pretty huge in the 80’s. I mean there was Apartheid in South Africa and famine in Ethiopia, so it really was the continent with a ton of buzz.
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’ve also got younger cousins who were toddlers when Graceland came out, who swear that Vampire Weekend are better than sliced bread. I want to tell them how Paul Simon was the soundtrack to a summer that they can’t remember, but I feel like I’d be wasting my breath.

As a kid I didn’t hate Graceland. I enjoyed it, despite how omnipresent it was. Still, even as a kid I preferred Simon’s mesmerizing “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” That song was so cool. It was a list and a manual. And it had that bassline.

But because I’d experienced that mania surrounding Graceland, when I’d finally heard Vampire Weekend’s music I was sort of nonplussed. I mean I’d already heard the whole “East Coast white guy(s) discover African Rhythms” album. It was cool the first time around, but did it need to be rehashed for a new generation? Reading the fervor at which blogs slathered praise on Vampire Weekend really caused my diminished respect for the blogosphere, because it wasn’t “new” it was just “new to them.”

And everyone seems to be on the Vampire Weekend bandwagon now. They’re too trendy. I’ve got coworkers who probably couldn’t tell Van Morrison from Van Hagar who are heaping praise on the band. (To be fair, I believe them when they proclaim the band “the best I’ve ever heard,” though it’s mostly because I doubt they’ve got a wealth of musical knowledge.)

I really want to believe in Vampire Weekend and I can’t deny how catchy the tunes that I’ve heard are. They’re a good band and they make good music. I just don’t think that all of their headlines are doing them justice.

And being the music fan that I am, I’ve compiled a list of artists that I expect to see albums from this year. For some of them, I’m just being greedy. For others, I think that something new is due. And for still others, albums have been announced, so I’m well within my rights to have expectations.

Beastie Boys
The Beasties delaying their next album because of health concerns is completely understandable. But in recent years I’ve given my Beastie Boys catalogue much more attention, and I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I actually really like them. And that’s why I’m really looking forward to hearing what they put out in 2010.

Arcade Fire
I arrived to The Funeral party late, but I loved Neon Bible. In fact, the album just missed My Top 21 of the 21st (So Far…). Listening to the growth between their first two albums, I really can’t wait to hear what their forthcoming release sounds like.

She & Him
I found Volume One quaint and charming. It was an album that was like a favorite sweater—warm, comfortable and familiar. But honestly, my expectations for Volume Two are so high that I can’t help but be disappointed. Still, I hope that I’m not.

The Roots
I love The Roots, so I was disappointed that How I Got Over was pushed back a few times in the ‘09. Still, if there’s one thing about The Roots it’s that they’re worth the wait. And I’m really anxious to hear if their gig on Late Night has expanded their own personal guest list.

Erykah Badu
I saw Erykah in concert in 2008 and she promised that New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) was only months away. I kept waiting all through 2009 for her to follow up on that promise. Now it appears that the album is indeed going to come out, and I can’t wait. Every one of her albums is an experience and this shouldn’t be an exception.

Gorillaz
I’m fond of this fake band. I initially got into them because of their links to Del and The Automator. But when Danger Mouse and De La Soul got involved I knew I’d become a fan. Now I’m eagerly looking forward to hearing what sonic boundaries the group pushes next, and who will produce it.

Lupe Fiasco
On the low, Lupe is an underground Kanye West. Both are prone to audacious statements and both are talented, though not as talented as they think. I’m curious about Lupe’s direction will be now that his buzz has disappeared and hip-hop has new saviors.

Santogold
I slept on her debut and only picked it up last year on a whim. But it was a solid introduction that left me hungry for more. I respected her genre-hopping and her making an album that was actually a fun listen. I’m worried that her sophomore album may sound forced, but I hope that I’m wrong.

J Cole
I’ve only heard two songs, “A Star Is Born” and “Beautiful Bliss”, and I want to track down his mixtapes, but I’m afraid that I’ll actually quell the anticipation I have for his album. I’m really curious to hear what has Jay-Z excited. I mean, Jay-Z also cosigned Memphis Bleek.

Amy Winehouse
Since both Frank and Back to Black are in my CD player right now, I’m sort of on a Winehouse kick at the moment. And granted, she’s got a ton of other things going on right now, but I don’t think that a follow up to her immensely popular sophomore album is out of the question. At the very least, the production will be superb. And since I’m on the subject of trainwrecks…

D’Angelo
It’s been roughly a decade since D’Angelo released Voodoo. Ten years. Ten long years. Let me put it like this: when Voodoo was released, fellow Virginia crooner Chris Brown just ten years old and still ten years away from a total career meltdown. At the very least D’Angelo should release some demos. Hell, he could leak them for all I care; I just want to hear some of his work.

And that does it for another edition. In upcoming weeks I’ll share my thoughts on Vampire Weekend, my Best of 2009 and possibly some more thoughts on the past decade. Laters.
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It’s nutty. This was the first decade where I was an adult through the entire thing, thus it’s the first decade where I’ve really been able to have an opinion about the “best of the decade” topics. It’s a weird feeling; it’s excitement coupled with obligation.

There were so many albums that having to winnow it down to just over twenty of my favorites was difficult. I literally obsessed over this list.

Anyway, here it is. And as I always do, it’s in alphabetical order.

Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006)
Rare is the album that lives up to universal acclaim, but Back to Black manages it. Winehouse’s voice coupled with the production of Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson create an album that feels both new and vintage. There’s just something about her cooing profanity that works. Perhaps it’s the forthright nature of the album that makes it so charming. It feels like a phone call set to music and it’s definitely one of those calls that makes you mourn its end.

Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
This may be Jay-Z’s masterpiece, but he didn’t do it alone. Without Kanye West and Just Blaze’s production this album wouldn’t have had nearly the impact. Jay’s intricate rhymes over soulful beats equaled an album that is as close to perfection as Hip-Hop gets. The content and tone were easily the product of Jay’s mental state—at the time he was facing criminal assault charges and his beef with Nas was reaching its apex. His lyrics are biting and funny, sharp and engaging. The Blueprint is Jay-Z’s argument for G.O.A.T., and it’s a strong one.

Deltron 3030 – Deltron 3030 (2000)
Underground legend Del tha Funkee Homosapien finally fulfills his potential with this album. This collaborative effort between Del and Dan the Automator showcases Del’s imagination and storytelling abilities and Dan’s propensity for being an excellent wingman. Del’s future is almost typically dystopian, but it really comes to life on the album. You believe that Del’s battling technology and the powers that be. And Automator’s beats are strong enough that the instrumental version stands as a classic in its own right.

TV on the Radio – Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004)
Cacophony never sounded so reassuring. On their debut album, TV on the Radio border on dissonance yet create an album that actually pays dividends to the attentive listener, it’s both challenging and rewarding. Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone are like a bizarro version of Hall & Oates, harmonizing on songs that won’t fully be appreciated for years, while Dave Sitek might be the second coming of Rick Rubin. Seriously, it’s amazing how well this album comes together.

Daft Punk – Discovery (2001)
Listening to Discovery is like traveling to a parallel universe where disco not only never died, but is still a vibrant musical genre. It’s also easily one of the most pleasant house albums to listen to. Daft Punk used all the cool in their cache to create an album that doubled as the soundtrack to an anime flick, and they ended up with an album that’s still a joyous spin to this day. There’s a purity to the songs on Discovery that transcend genre and speak strictly to the inherent sense of that which defines “good” within everyone.

Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine (2005)
It’s hard to distinguish Extraordinary Machine from its mythical journey. Still, after all of the news stories and internet leaks, the finished product stands as a stellar album. The departure of Jon Brion actually adds a freshness to Extraordinary Machine—’s a Fiona Apple album, only with outside influences and hired help. “Get Him Back” thumps and “Red, Red, Red” is bulging with lament. The only negative for the album is that it makes you wonder where Apple has vanished to.

Slum Village – Fantastic, Vol. 2 (2000)
This was Jay Dee’s coming-out party. Fantastic Vol 2 lingered in limbo for two years due to label woes, all the while gaining famous proponents. When it finally saw the light of day it was a breath of fresh air at the dawn of the millennium. It’s lighthearted and humorous. C’mon, when was the last time you heard a song about a proposed threesome that sounded less like a lecherous come on and more like a harmless proposition? Fantastic, Vol. 2 has beats that knock. And it’s a group where the group members actually had chemistry. Sadly two of the original three members of Slum Village have since passed on, which really only adds to the legend of this album.

The Roots – Game Theory (2006)
It’s amazing, but on their seventh studio release, The Roots produced their best album. Clocking in at under an hour, Game Theory is a thrilling ride through the psyche of America circa the middle of the decade. This is a political album, and as such, The Roots seemingly channel Public Enemy (whom they also interpolate into the album.) Game Theory is an album of righteous fury and frustration. Yet, it’s still an album full of beats that demand head nodding. Malik B returns and Dilla is mourned. For all of the grief that the country suffered through with eight years of G-Dub, including the Patriot Act, Game Theory almost makes it worth it.

De La Soul – The Grind Date (2004)
The Grind Date is a De La Soul anomaly; it has no skits, no goofing off and few guests. It’s also De La’s best album of the decade, and that’s counting the extremely strong AOI series. The Grind Date derives its strength from the complete and utter lack of filler. No songs need to be skipped and every bar is relevant. Here De La Soul is like the Al Gore of hip-hop; they point out what’s happening, why it’s wrong and do their best to correct it.

Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of the Bewilderbeast (2000)
This was the album of the decade. It’s a weird hodgepodge of musical influences and instruments that could only be found on a debut album. There’s also an innocence on Hour of the Bewilderbeast that’s refreshing. It’s almost as though Badly Drawn Boy didn’t know that albums weren’t supposed to sound like this; like he didn’t know the rules. It sounds like nothing else. It’s whimsical and fun and bounces from track to track, yet it also has pangs of lament and the occasional haunting tune. Badly Drawn Boy hasn’t made another album that’s come close to this career high point, which is both sad and a testament to how great this album is.

Sufjan Stevens – Illinois (2005)
This album is an adventure and almost an exercise in escapism. Stevens transports the listener to Illinois, which almost becomes mythical. He explores folklore and infamy with equal detail. The characters that he creates are just a real as the characters that he profiles. And it all happens over a lush backdrop of pop symphonies that never feels overdone.

Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
Kid A is as infamous as it is famous. It’s a genre-bending album that, even today, is still as murky in meaning as the day it was released. Yet even in Radiohead’s most prolific decade, Kid A impresses. The risks that were taken equal the accomplishment achieved, and those risks were extreme and uncalculated. Kid A seeming channeled the dread of a populace for whom the year 2000 wasn’t a mythical future, but a matter-of-fact present. It’s spooky and beautiful and occasionally rocks.

Kanye West – Late Registration (2005)
Late Registration proved that Kanye West wasn’t a fluke. After all of his antics and hype, Kanye West turned around and backed up all of his arrogance. Late Registration is an accomplishment because it actually exceeds the astronomical expectations that everyone had Kanye’s sophomore effort. Kanye tackles blood diamonds, political topics and materialistic women without missing a beat. He manages an appearance by Nas, when Nas was still beefing with Jay-Z. Perhaps most amazingly he keeps with the college motif established on his debut. Of course Jon Brion deserves a ton of credit for co-producing Kanye’s best-sounding and most fully realized album.

Little Brother – The Listening (2003)
At a time when hip-hop was arguably at its most stagnant, Little Brother released a classic. A throwback to a the sound of the early 1990s The Listening provided a glimmer of hope that perhaps hip-hop was cyclical. Ultimately it wasn’t, but this album, which referenced Rain Man and EPMD with equal regard, still bucked the trend of making music about materialism. Everything that Kanye West’s The College Dropout got acclaim for doing, the return of sampling, the new perspective and unique voice, The Listening did too. And it did it a year earlier on an indie budget.

Madvillain – Madvillainy (2004)
Madvillainy sounded like The Beatnuts on acid, which turned out to be a great thing. How revolutionary is an album that has no commercial aspirations? Only one song hits the four-minute mark. Calling the rhymes esoteric is putting it nicely. Still Madvllainy is an example of the decade’s best trend in hip-hop—the collaborative album. Madlib and MF Doom played well together while staying true to themselves and their fanbases. They also created an underground classic that continues to bubble up toward the mainstream consciousness.

Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun (2000)
R&B has taken a couple of decades off, but one of the few bright spots has been Erykah Badu. Mama’s Gun is an example of an artist truly finding her voice. On Mama’s Gun, women are strong and vulnerable. They’re imperfect yet powerful. Badu provides a counterpoint to oversexed R&B video chick; that of a wise and feminine woman who knows her power. She’s self-deprecating to show her humanity and that humanity is what makes Mama’s Gun stand out.

Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog (2007)
As Sam Beam exemplifies on The Shepherd’s Dog, growth can be a good thing. Which isn’t to say that Iron & Wine’s previous albums weren’t great, but the sonic layers that Beam added on The Shepherd’s Dog are what make the album great. He maintains hushed whisper delivery while still cranking things up to “11″ (ok, so it’s actually “7″). His songwriting remains as sharp as ever, but his compositions grew exponentially. Seriously, anyone who doesn’t love “Boy with a Coin” is either dead or deaf.

Bloc Party – Silent Alarm (2005)
Silent Alarm is a thrilling album that bustles with the energy of youth. While stateside indie rockers were whiney, indifferent or into glam, across the pond Bloc Party sounded angry and scared enough to change the world. There are few things as powerful as Kele Okereke’s voice; you can feel his anger and frustration in “Like Eating Glass” and his raw vulnerability in “Blue Light”. In a better world, Bloc Party would have provided the soundtrack to the youth rebellion that should have happened during Bush’s second term.

The Avalanches – Since I Left You (2000)
Since I Left You is a masterpiece of piecemeal. Remember before stereos were digital and you had to use a knob to tune to a radio station? Since I Left You sounds like someone spinning that knob back and forth. But in a good way. The album contains over 3500 samples, yet feels intricately put-together. This album is an album that you can listen to while clutching your headphones to dissect every track. It’s also an album you can have on as background music when you host a gathering. You can literally lose yourself for an hour in this album.

Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Interpol made mope seem cool and almost fun. Despite being derivative, Turn on the Bright Lights felt refreshing. Sure, more often than not the lyrics could be nonsensical, but it wasn’t about coherency, it was about the evocative nature of the music. Turn on the Bright Lights made you want to be a New York hipster and wear a suit with a skinny tie.

D’Angelo – Voodoo (2000)
This album is so great that its lack of connection to an audience caused D’Angelo to withdraw from public life. People who expected a sequel to Brown Sugar were disappointed. But people who accepted that D’Angelo was a growing artist coming into his own were overjoyed by Voodoo. With songs much more freeflowing and looser in structure, Voodoo felt like an album from an artist who was finding his voice. Voodoo should have been the blueprint for a genre devoid of creativity instead of being remembered for the naked video of a song that’s far from the album’s strongest.
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I guess I’m not that old, and not in the “old guy still clinging desperately to his youth” stage of my life, but I’m your standard Gen X cat. I’ve never tried to be a hipster and I’m fully content in my age bracket.

That said, I’ve finally accepted that I’m an old man and that hip-hop in its current state is for kids. It’s no longer designed to appeal to me and it no longer does.

Sure, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, as I’ll always love hip-hop and I’ll always listen to it. It’ll always be a part of my life, but there’s nothing that’s really made to cater to people of my ilk. I think that it’s really sad because there’s a growing market for adult-contemporary hip-hop.

When I was looking back on the decade for my upcoming best-of column, it struck me how much I really enjoyed De La Soul’s The Grind Date. It was an album by adults, for adults. It was a hip-hop album about life and maturity and it was created by people who grew up in the game. That album should be looked at as the blueprint for my vision of adult-contemporary hip-hop. Sure the braggadocio was there, as it’ll always be present as long as there are emcees, but there was also a level of realness and responsibility that was refreshing.

Because of my basic love for hip-hop, I enjoyed both Wale and Kid Cudi’s debuts; they were really good albums and strong opening statements. And I’ll always love a good spitter like Joe Budden or Jadakiss. But the actual sound of hip-hop right now just isn’t palatable to my ears. As I wrote a couple weeks ago, I picked up Drake’s debut EP and it wasn’t for me. It sounded too sterile and synthetic. It was like a TV dinner when what I really wanted and had hoped for was a home-cooked meal. But home-cooked meals, it seems, are getting harder and harder to come by these days.

And I really don’t know what the solution is. I’d like to believe that if the music industry wasn’t in such a free fall that they’d explore the notion of a graying hip-hop audience. But by that same token, with the industry in such horrible shape, why wouldn’t record labels try it on for size in a desperate effort to see what actually sticks? Given the shape of the industry, why aren’t more imaginative things being tried?

Like I said, I’ll always keep my ear to the streets, but I’m really looking for substance. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to tolerate any more of the “Money, Cash, Hoes” mentality.

At least I’ll always have The Grind Date and I should be happy to have that.

God, that’s sort of a depressing thought.
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