My Top 10 Albums of 2009
“Music is an immediate art; it’s always happening right now…” – Sam Andrew
So it’s been a while since I posted on my blog, there are a number of reasons for this, but I think the most prominent one must be that I was too busy coding pure awesomeness! 
Last year I started something where I listed my top 10 CD’s for 2008 and I thought I will be a cool exercise to do it again this year and just like last year let me just start by saying that the 10 CD’s in this list isn’t necessarily from 2009. Just because it was new to me doesn’t mean it was new to anyone else. 
So in no particular order, here they are:
BLK JKS – After Robots (2009)
For some reason I always get a warm fuzzy feeling when a local (South African) band makes it onto a list like this one, but you can take me word for it, these guys deserve it. Their name is pronounced “Black Jacks” and they started in 2000 in Johannesburg, South Africa. To explain the sound I find that think The Mars Volta mixed with some Miles Davis with quite a bit that special South African flavor.
Shwayze – Let It Beat (2009)
As cheesy and “porno” as this music might be, it does it’s part in keeping the mood up and the mind working at a reasonable pace. It’s mostly fluff but every once in a while a bright nugget of music shines out from the rest. I like how they mix the old Sugar Ray chilled sound with something slighly more poppy without losing musical integrity completely.
Metallica – Death Magnetic (2008)
Just as we thought these guys were done for, they drop Bob Rock and meet up with the legendary Rick Ruben (If you don’t know this name, you better get your Wikipedia on and recognize!). This album reminds me a lot of the band’s work from back in the “…And Justice for All” days (1990) and in my opinion secured them a couple more years in the music game.
Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End Of Day (2009)
It’s not ever day that you get the opportunity to hear something new and fresh in Hip Hop. This opportunity I felt I got when I first listened this album. Kid Cudi is definitely one of the forerunners in the next generation of game-changing Hip Hop artists. The way thalbum is put together makes it a journey you take with him through the darker and lighter parts of his mind. This one still lives on my iPod.
Lauryn Hill – MTV Unplugged (2002)
The queen of hip hop with an acoustic guitar, live in front of a very small crowd of her most dedicated fans. This isnt a show as much as a n extremely talented lady sharing her personal life experiences and stories with the world. In all honesty it does get a little to religious for my liking every once in a while, but she makes up for that with pure musical genius. (and that is not a word I throw around casually when it comes to music)
Mr Hudson & The Library – A Tale Of Two Cities (2007)
Before he became famous, got signed with Kanye or moved away from England Mr Hudson used to play with a group called “Mr Hudson & The Library”. The sound is slightly less polished than the new solo album, but it feels personal and not as commercial. Best enjoyed with a nice glass of red wine 
Mos Def – Black on Both Sides (1999)
Black on Both Sides was the debut solo album of Mos Def and from the get-go you could tell that he was going places. Lyrically and musically a strong album and even though it’s 10 years old it still doesn’t sound dated at all. I can keep talking and talking about this album and I probably wont do it justice. I will end by saying one thing.. It’s up there with Dr Dre’s “2001″ in respect to what it did for Hip Hop as a commercial entity.
Pearl Jam – Binaural (2000)
I realize that people or love Pearl Jam or hate it, not a lot of discussion around that fact. I am one of teh people who loves it. After listening to Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack to “Into the Wild” I fell in love with the sound of the Ukulele and then found a great song he did with Pearl Jam with the same instrument called “Soon Forget”.. needless to say the rest of this album grew on me to a point where I had it on repeat at one stage. Definitively one of their finest albums.
“sorry is the fool who trades his soul for a corvette”
Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster (2009)
I’m most certainly going to get flack for this one, but I have my reasons. Besides the fact that the music is decent (for full blown pop music) Lady Gaga knows how to put up a show and I personally think that this will be the value she brings to music in the long run. She’s attempting to bring back pop culture and I’m not talking Britney on a stage with a snake around her neck, I’m talking Edie Sedgwick meets David Bowie type of pop culture.
Bjork – Greatest Hits (2009)
OK, OK, I know a greatest hits compilation shouldnt be able to make it onto a list like this, but the hits they chose is simply such great collection of work that inspired me to go back to her previous full-feature albums and give them a bash again too. After playing it for about a month on my iPod I even went and bought the “Dancer in the Dark” DVD and still I cant get enough of this lady’s genius.
And once again that is it!
Like last year, I included links to youtube videos and other sites, where I could, to give you a sample of what the music sound like.
I hope you have an awesome festive season!
Fri, December 18th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Nice list, most of the stuff I haven’t listened to. Have some homework this holiday…