Danice's Favourite 2012 Albums

12.  Devotion - Jessie Ware

Some classic UK R&B has been coming out this year, but Jessie Ware is the one most worth paying attention to.  She doesn't look like your typical pop or soul star, yet perhaps the best comparisons have been made to Sade, one of the greatest R&B vocalists to ever step out of the UK.  Whether Jessie is epically belting about your "Wildest Moment", or playfully singing a catchy pop tune like "Sweet Talk", the sounds coming out of her are raw and beautiful.  In a world of pop music that's trying too hard to be sexy, Jessie Ware's naturally sexy tone is breath of fresh air.  Also, did you know she found her earliest success in a taxi?  Yep, check this out:

11. Coexist - The XX

Since their album Islands, I have been falling in love with the work Jamie, The XX's DJ does.  He has created some of the most original and beautiful remixes I have ever heard or imagined.  With The XX, he generally creates an atmosphere for Romy Madley Croft's soft and haunting voice.  Their 2012 album, Coexist does more of the same of what they do best.  Their sound feels detached, as if they are primarily creating a world to step into, rather than communicating an idea or expressing an emotion.  This is one of my favourite records to play while doing administrative catch-up, or to discover is being played in a coffee shop.



10. MTMTMK - The Very Best

This year I was able to go see The Very Best live in Seattle, and had no idea before I got there that they even had a new record out.  I have appreciated everything this Malawian lead and Swedish DJ have ever produced, so it was no surprise that I bought the new album as soon as we got home.  MTMTMK stands for "More to Malawi Than Madonna's Kids," and features a bit more dance music than The Warm Heart of Africa did.  If you are still unfamiliar with these guys, look into both albums - the first for a more African feel, and MTMTMK for more of a sense of blended cultures.  This album also brought some attention to Seye (pronounced like Cher), the Nigerian-born, London-bred singer-songwriter who toured and collaborated with The Very Best.  I would have considered one of Seye's songs in my top 12, only that my favourite is not actually available yet.  Still, here's a video of him singing J.O.A.N.N.A.:

9.   True - Solange
I was racking my brain whether to include E.P.'s on this list.  There were a few really great and really promising short albums that came out this year, from Brandi Carlisle, Shad, and Azealia Banks, for example.  But there is something about this 7-track collection from Beyonce's younger sister that I simply can't exclude.  Maybe it's the 80's R&B throwback (the record is full of drum tracks, synthesizer, and even retro sounding harmonies) just when we most miss Whitney Houston's early years.  Maybe we've all been secretly wishing to know what Beyonce would sound like if she weren't an epic diva. For whatever reason, True feels as though it's exactly what a musical doctor would prescribe. 



8.   The Heist - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
This album may still be in the "Under $8" section on iTunes.  That's how I picked it up, only having really listened to the two tracks that had viral videos, "Same Love," and "Thrift Shop".  I actually forgot I had purchased it, until one day a song popped into my headphones while my ipod was on shuffle (a rare moment, indeed).  Macklemore surprised me by being far more than your average white rapper.  He does hip hop justice by both speaking out on issues, and having a sense of humour, two things that I believe hip hop music does at its best.  There are a couple moments that could feel slightly preachy to some, but for the most part this is a solid record built on thought and guts.



  7.   Love this Giant - St. Vincent and David Byrne
I think this collaboration makes more sense than any I've heard of in a long while.  Two incredibly talented, brilliant, and quirky musicians from different generations team up to give us exactly what you would expect, plus some extra horns.  The only downside to Love This Giant is that Annie Clark (St. Vincent) doesn't have nearly enough guitar solos.  Still, it's clear through the work they did produce that both David and Annie respect and generally enjoy each other's music and style, which along with their stunningly complementary vocals, makes this team-up worth every effort. 

6.   ...Little Broken Hearts - Norah Jones
Like no Norah you've heard before, ...Little Broken Hearts shows off the jazz standard singer's versatility, and producer Danger Mouse's ability to transform an artist's sound.  Like Adele's 21 the year before, ...Little Broken Hearts is an album dedicated to a break-up, and although it hasn't reached nearly the level of mainstream success that 21 did, I find it refreshingly more mature and balanced on the dejected-to-irate spectrum.  Highlights for me are "Sad Goodbye", "Happy Pills", and "Miriam".  Just click on the album image to stream all the songs.




5.   Boys and Girls - The Alabama Shakes
The Alabama Shakes have the secret power of time travel.  Every time I play Boys and Girls I have to remind myself that I do not actually live in the 60's.  The album kicks off with the addictive single, "Hold On", and then does nothing less than restore my faith in Rock & Roll.  The album is filled to every last edge with lyrics of desire, anger and sadness that are only deepened by Britney Howard's soulful, raspy, low croon.  I have yet to see them live, but I've heard this is necessary, so if you have the chance, don't pass it up.  




4.   Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City - Kendrick Lamar
I did not like this right away.  At first listen, I couldn't handle the macho and misogyny long enough to get past the first half.  Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City tells Lamar's own coming-of-age story, and at first, Kendrick tries to prove himself a man with the usual tough act. In order to see him grow, you need to give the album/story time.  Punctuated by voicemails left by Lamar's parents (beginning angrily asking for the car back but eventually become gentle invitations to come home) this solid rap record leaves a surprising message of manhood: that it's not perfected in violence but in taking care of family.  Although it is heard best in context, I've embedded my favourite song off the record below.

  

3.   The Idler Wheel... - Fiona Apple

I had started to give up on hope that Fiona Apple would come out with another album as amazing as Tidal or When the Pawn...  She has certainly returned to the longer album title though, this time with an exactly Twitter-kosher 140 characters.  The Idler Wheel... is exactly what I want to expect from Apple: fast jungle-inspired rhythms mixed with slower angst-y ballads, held together by Apple's own eccentric personality and dark imagination, and unique percussive-style piano.  The best place to stream this one is on grooveshark, so instead of a soundcloud link, here's a bizarre video you should watch from The Idler Wheel is Wider Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do:

2.   The Bravest Man in the Universe - Bobby Womack

There was something about 2012 that brought a lot of older artists out to record.  Springsteen, The Stones, The Beach Boys and even Van Halen all released music this year, but only Bobby Womack was able to give us something that feels stunningly relevant and original, while holding a greater depth of experience and wisdom.  His age can be heard in his voice, and I think it makes The Bravest Man in the Universe Bobby's best album yet.
Stream it at the Guardian, here.

  

1.   Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

Someone asked me what my life highlight from 2012 was, and my first instinct was to say Frank Ocean.  I anticipated this album like nothing else this year, so it had a strong potential to let me down, but obviously it did not.  Channel Orange explores the disadvantages of living a privileged rich kid's life along with a couple deep and personal instrospective pieces that are held together by flipping television channels that offer news from the outside world.  The music is fresh and heavy R&B with a hip hop attitude, and I can't get enough of it.  If you still don't have this album, click the image to the right for a stream of it on soundcloud.  I doubt you'll last long without purchasing this one.

4 - Beyonce, 2011

One of my favorite things to do around the new year is reflect on the finishing year by reading lists and making some of my own.  There are a number of artists that have shaped my 2011 with new and newly discovered albums - Bon Iver, Florence, Adele, Josh Garrels - but I've decided to talk about Beyonce's 4, because I doubt I will ever be inspired to write about any of her other albums, past or future.  And I cannot stop listening to it.

Who would have expected this?  A chock-full collection of hit after hit, that somehow sound even better together, from a woman who has built her career on singles and music videos.  Beyonce has never been what I've considered great at the art of album, but 4 is an incredibly happy exception.

"1+1" reintroduces Beyonce to us as a sexy balladess with clear control on her vocal range.  Before we dance, we are asked to remember that she is not only a beautiful, engaging performer, but a vocal contender as well.  "I Care" and "Miss You" are best paired together, both using 80's instrumentation to recall a classic pop-r&b fusion, and both wrestling with relationships either on their way out or regretfully finished.  Come to think of it, "Best Thing I Never Had" is a part of the series too - but adds some real Beyonce attitude.  Sure it's a pithy chorus, but Beyonce's never been hailed as a lyricist anyway, and it's a great song to sing at the top of your lungs in the car.  Try it sometime.

By now, we've remembered what Beyonce is capable of, but we're not sure if she's still really got the power to start the party.  By the time I listened to 4 in it's entirety I had already seen the video for the last track, "Run the World (Girls)", and was at best disappointed.  Was that going to be the strongest dance song on the album?  Certainly not.  And this is where the party begins, appropriately with "Party", which brings along with it Andre 3000 and Kanye, and a sample of La-Di-Da-Di.  It's a massive summer party track, but was unfortunately released a little too late to get the attention it deserves.

There's always one song I don't love, and on 4 it's "Rather Die Young", which feels inauthentic and silly, referencing a bad boy who is worth all the trouble.  Beyonce is getting too old for that, and I find "Start Over" to be far more believable as she searches to reignite a spark with a long-term partner.

"Love on Top" is a throwback to past divas such as Whitney of the 80's and even Diana of the 60's, as she once again shows what she can do, this time in 6 key changes.  It was the perfect song to let the world know of her anticipated Knowles-Carter child in this pop-historic VMAs performance.  You should probably watch it here if you haven't yet:

The party refuses to stop as Beyonce uses a counting down sample from Boyz II Men (good move B) to "Countdown" which is one of the most eclectic songs that doesn't sound scattered ever made in the r&b world.  The video is nearly perfect as it mirrors this collage of a song, with great dance moves and even greater outfits.  If you haven't seen it, you should probably watch it here:

THEN, "End of Time" comes on, with its massive horn shots and epic marching beat.  This for me is the highlight of the album.  By now I am sold on B, and all that is left to do is shake whatever your mother gave you, regardless of how it compares to what Beyonce received from her mother.

"I Was Here" slows everything down again with the track that will likely be played at Beyonce's funeral.  Written by legendary love song writer Diane Warren, it might be a little melodramatic for my taste, but every diva needs to plan ahead for a memorial or life-time achievement award.

The album ends with "Run the World", which actually has an incredible beat and similar energy levels to "End of Time", but falls flat when compared to other girl-power/feminist anthems like Destiny's Child's earlier "Independent Women".  The video has some amazing dancing, but it mostly frustrates me by what it could've been.  Still, considering this post has been video heavy, I might as well conclude one last performance that almost convinced me of this song:

When I think of 2011, I will undoubtedly think of Beyonce's 4.  What will you think of?

The Video Stars: DANCE Vids

I have been waiting and waiting for this.  I still have one more category to go after today, but I have been anticipating this particular group of ten videos more than any others.  Here are the top 10 dance music videos of all time:
 

10.  Runaway - Kanye West, 2010.  Directed by Fredrico Fellini & Stanley Kubrick.

Why yes, I am one of those who think Kanye will get the Grammy nod this year for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but that's not the point.  This video is strikingly beautiful in its juxtoposition of ballet dancers, warehouse setting, and Kanye's rap, yet everything works more than anything the rest of us could have imagined.  By far the most noteworthy excerpt from the full-length film.  If you do still want to watch the whole thing, you can watch it here.

9.  Like a Boy - Ciara, 2006.  Directed by Diane Martel.

The choreography is great, but that's not even why it's here.  Sure, Ciara isn't the only woman to ever try to use a music video to question gender roles, but here she plays both parts incredibly well, always looks super fly, and shows off her moves, which are as smooth as ever in this vid.  I think we also get a kick out of watching Ciara grab her crotch and kiss her biceps. 

8.  Vogue - Madonna, 1990.  Directed by David Fincher.

Perhaps I should have warned you, there is something about a black and white dance video, because this is clearly not the first and certainly won't be the last.  The dance in this video is subtle, because Vogue is all about the relationship between style, grace, and attitude.  But it is indeed a dance, and has inspired many partiers throughout the following decades to "strike a pose" whenever the moment deems it appropriate.

7.  Alright - Janet Jackson, 1990.  Directed by Julien Temple. 

In the style of a 50's musical, we get to watch Janet have fun dancing around an old-school New York in a pinstripe suit.  Madonna got to do Dick Tracy that year, and perhaps Janet got jealous and made this video?  I dunno, but "Alright" is proving to stand the test of time, and even being referenced by other younger dancers like Usher (at 1:35 in this Janet tribute) and Chris Brown in Yeah 3x.

6.  Tightrope - Janelle Monae, 2010.  Directed by Wendy Morgan.

Perhaps I should have also warned you of the number of women in suits that appear on this list!  Janelle Monae (if you don't know her, here's a blog I posted earlier this year) is a genius, and her feet are full of magic.  As for the video, it has a great story, the production is perfect, and it makes us want to dance just like Janelle Monae, although most of us can't because of my previous sentence. 

5.  Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO, 2011.  Directed by Mickey Finnegan.

I'm positive this is the only video from this year I'll have in any of my lists.  I've hummed and hawed over it; how can we possibly know if this will stand the test of time?  I guess we can't, and at the rate that many of us are watching it, there will likely come a time when we are so sick of shuffling.  However, I'm not there yet, and this video has a hilarious concept, and some truly great hipster dancing... which until PRA, I had thought was an oxymoron.

 4.  Lose Control - Missy Elliott feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop, 2005.  Directed by Dave Meyers.

This video reminds me of reminds me of a video game the way it finds itself in 5 distinct settings as if they are levels to achieve.  Each one is full of stark and surprising visuals that incorporate some truly phenomenal dancing.  Besides, even in real life the combination of Missy and Ciara is one of my faves to dance to!

3.  Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce, 2008.  Directed by Jake Nava.

This has become the "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." of music videos; it is one of the most parodied videos of late; although attempted by many the dance is actually really difficult; and the whole thing - although Beyonce and her dancers are scantily clad - comes off as incredibly classy.  It's because of this that "Single Ladies" has been elevated to legendary status.

 2.  Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson, 1986.  Directed by Colin Chilvers.

Although we don't understand what's going on (even in the context of Moonwalker - the film for which Smooth Criminal is the climax) we can't help but be sucked in to the general action of gangsters in a nightclub.  Not only is it full of drama and intrigue and costume and swagger, but the quintessential Jackson moves that, for most of us, define our pop King.

1.  Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson, 1989.  Directed by Dominic Sena.

The only person in the world that could beat MJ in a music video contest is his sister.  Choreographed by Anthony Thomas (who also choreographed "Alright") this video uses a harsh militant routine that fits with the song and setting of an abandoned warehouse, and shows off Janet dancing unlike she ever has before (or after for that matter).  With the very short exception of some solo dance moments, the group is always dancing together in tight formation to a street style that seems as though it musically and physically demonstrates what a true rhythm nation could be.  Or perhaps it's just a lot of fun to dress up and look tough.  Either way, I'm sold.  Although it sounds crazy cheesy, and I know nostalgia is probably working against me, this video still has the power to inspire hope and desire for a better world.  If you could stomach more of me praising JJ's Rhythm Nation, here's my blog devoted to the whole album.

Happy Dancing!

PS. I can't not mention the runner up for this list, because it was so hard to leave out.  Another video by Wendy Morgan, this time for Gnarles Barkley's "Going On".  Check it out if you have time and space to move in your seat.  My other difficult choices in case you're interested, were MJ's Bad and Daft Punk's Around the World. 

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, 1989

If I were writing a top ten list of albums that shaped me as a kid, I might as well start by putting this record on top.  So forgive me if I wax nostalgic.  No matter what song is played from this album, my first mental image is of being in my older brother's basement room, using his double bed as a stage and a deoderant bottle as a microphone, trying my darndest to be Janet.  Before spending countless hours in front of the tv, trying to memorize her brother's "Thriller" dance, I was taking lessons from Rhythm Nation 1814.

I won't attempt to talk about this album with mentioning the videos associated with it because very few of us who have ever seen this, can listen to "Rhythm Nation" without being transported to the stark setting of the streets or the sparse warehouse where militant dancers are being trained to transform the world.  Janet has a long resume of impressive music videos with high production quality (and costs), however what I love about the videos connected with Rhythm Nation is that they are all very simple ideas and settings allowing the focus to remain on choreography and narrative.

As soon as the bell tolls, opening the album, I am there - one of Janet's army - and to be honest, I've never counted myself out of this number since first hearing this record.

The first three tracks set the foundational concern towards social injustice, calling for a new formation of people along the same line as George Clinton's One Nation Under a Groove.  Here, Janet reminds us that there is still a place for the protest/socially conscious song in R&B that was established in the 60's and 70's by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, ect, but had been missing for nearly a decade.  Janet is young here, but with the New Jack Swing fathers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis she is able to deliver a call to justice and equality that packs a punch, and keeps us dancing.

After reminding us of the "State of the World", and delivering her thesis that only "The Knowledge" can conquer the likes of prejudice, ignorance, bigotry and illiteracy, she moves the album along with:
"Get the point?  Good.  Let's dance..." and continues to encourage movement with two power dance tracks, "Miss You Much", and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)".  For someone with such a light wispy voice, she sure knows how to energize her listeners.  Still, she never let's us get too far away from the issues at hand, reminding us to think of the children in "Livin' In a World (They Didn't Make)".

I recently bought this on vinyl, and "Living in a World..." appropriatly concludes the chapter that is side A.  When I turn it over I'm thrust back into the action with the brilliant anthem, "Alright".  This song could alone define New Jack Swing with its street class swagger, and marriage of R&B melodies with heavy hip hop beats.  Not to mention it boasts one of my favorite music videos of the time.  I'm going to go ahead and imbed this one...

Together with "Escapade" these two tracks offer two attempts to hide from the harsh reality, the first with imagination and friendship, the second with flight.  "Black Cat" instead faces the danger of the streets as a warning to her lover.  Written by Janet herself, I'm not always sure how the harder rock-inspired track fits into this dance record, but it's an example of decent songwriting that sounds eerily like Michael. 

There is a very small part of me that wishes the album ended here.  However, the last three tracks prepare us all for Janet's sexual revolution that is to come.  We can't say she didn't warn us.  I read a review somewhere that said "Lonely" is the sexiest song about not getting any that ever existed.  That's probably true, at least as of 1989.  As in any new nation, love is never left out of the equation entirely.   Still, when she takes it all the way to the anticipatory "Someday is Tonight", I just feel dirty.  For some reason, this song is so much worse than her way more explicit stuff that comes in the 90's.  I don't know why, maybe her age, or how it fits on Rhythm Nation...  but however I might justify it, this is my favorite track to skip for sheer awkwardness. 

A brief Interlude followed by the same bell tolls that open the album asks us not to allow our eyes to deceive us, since it is only our "knowledge and wisdom that separate us".  If I were to critique her philosophy here, I might say we need more than darkness to be blind to our differences, but brighter light to see how deeply we are the same.  But that's not what I'm here to do.  The real point is that this unlikely young Jackson does exactly what she sets out to do: inspire us to dance in the darkness and invite everyone to join in, regardless of race or status.

#8) Justin Timberlake: FutureSex/LoveSounds, 2006

So now it is officially official: I am behind.  Christmas Day was a lot more tiring than I thought it would be, and blogging was simply not an option at the end of it.  Have no fear though, the list will go on, and if I must I will spend all of New Year’s Day counting down to #1. 

Although I knew quite early that this would make my list, I haven't had the chance to listen to it straight through in the last month, so tonight after work I listened, sitting on my bed, drinking lemon ginger tea (because for Christmas, I got a cold) as I wrote this blog.  My first thought as I began was remembering a conversation I recently had with my niece.  She insisted that Timbaland’s real name is “Justin Timberland”, just like Justin Timberlake.  I don't think she can fully tell the two apart!  And why should she be able to, with the incredible partnership they built up on this album? 

Right from the get-go FutureSex/LoveSounds (the song and album) is like nothing we had ever heard before from a boy-band member, or from Justin himself.  It has darker and sexier tones, that are only given more weight by Timbaland’s heavy bass and diverse sounds.  And then, as if he needed to state the obvious, Justin announces that he has brought Sexy Back.  As hot as this track was the first time I heard it on the radio, it packed way more of a punch on the album.  Naturally, it became one of the biggest dance tracks of the decade, by making each and every one of us want to bring some part of sexy back, in any small way we can. 

Sexy Ladies comes off sounding really cocky, but then he gets away with it by admitting it: “Now it might sound cocky, but is it really cocky if you know it’s true?”  Fine.  You’re forgiven.  I'll even let you put "sexy" in the title of two of your songs back to back.  Who the heck can get away with that?

All of a sudden, I realize I must put joking aside.  Throughout FutureSex/LoveSounds, the Timb's use “interludes” and “preludes” to tie songs together, and therefore contains some of the best transitions on a pop record.  For example the Let Me Talk to You prelude at the end of Sexy Ladies that leads into  My Love is so boss, I actually forget how the whole track goes until it starts up.  And then when it does and I've already heard the chorus several times, I'm not bored by it because of how different it feels.  The movement in the rhythmic synth riff is contagious, and I'm doing a sort of upper body dance that I don't think should ever been seen by human eyes. 

And soon enough it happens all over again in LoveStoned/I Think She Knows.  Half way through the song, instrumentation strips down to beatbox and strings, and then cuts out again to a solo guitar vamping on the same pattern.  By the time Justin is singing again, it’s hard to remember that I’m actually listening to the same song - the same chorus even!  When he does move on to What Goes Around…/…Comes Back Around, he has to make it unmistakably new, yet I feel as though the semi-continuity of orchestral strings still ties the two tracks together a bit.  What Goes Around... sounds like a predictable pop song for once... until about 5.5 minutes in when you expect the song to round down, and instead and it shifts to an entirely different attitude.  I stop feeling sorry for Justin, and begin to feel his anger.

And anger is a good thing to feel a little of in the dirty sound, which is exactly where we're headed with Chop Me Up.  Timbaland's distorted echo is just nasty on this track.  Mafia Three 6 makes an appearance and slows the bounce considerably, but gets nowhere near stopping anything.  I wish the album could keep on going like this, instead of moving to Damn Girl, which sticks out like a sour thumb.  It’s not that it’s a bad track.  It’s a lot of fun, but it takes me a while to get into the old school groove and harmony after half an album of Timbaland’s unique and futuristic sounding influence.

But don’t worry, Timb's back with Summer Love.  I am strutting all over the kitchen, living room, down the stairs, wherever with this one.  And although the next song, Until the End of Time, has a completely different tone, once again an incredibly crafted transition prepares me and takes me there, without me even realizing it.  The album is funneling down into a new thought and sound, and maybe conclusion, but there's no forced-ness or awkwardness about it.

Loosing My Way comes across as far more humble than the rest of this sexy and confident album, although Justin gives himself the character named George.  This one is saturated with MJ influence, complete even with a children’s choir.  “Can anybody hear me, cause I can’t seem to hear myself…” is a prayer for help and forgiveness, which takes a moment to sink into, but ends up believable. 

Another Song (All Over Again) is the only other track on the album (other than Damn Girl) that is not produced by Timbaland.  And yet here I think it works a little better.  At the end of the album, it hits me as a very honest track: After he has been a love god in his own eyes, bringing sexy back and the whole bit, ultimately he’s left as a boy who’s messed up and is begging for a second chance. 

Another Song is very far from where we began FutureSex/LoveSounds, but one that was made by a journey of transitions.  Just as each track is crafted to perfection, the album is shaped in such a way that I do want to put the album on all over again to see just how they did it.  However, I have 7 more albums to listen to, so a repeat will have to wait.