Hydrant Sippin’

I was thinking of putting together a traditional top 20 list of my favorite albums. But how the hell do you compare a garage rock album against a hip-hop album.  Fuck, comparing between albums within a single “genre” is already arbitrary enough (as are genres).  Plus, I know some of you come here to get just one type of music (maybe you don’t like the hip-hop, for example).  So for 2011, I decided to break it down.

Best Garage Rock Albums
Your soundtrack to getting shithoused, and/or driving way too fast.
1) Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler / The Dream
2) Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread
3) Mikal Cronin – Mikal Cronin
4) Mark Sultan – $
5) Thee Oh Sees – Castlemania

Most Surprisingly Great Live Show
Bloodshot Bill with King Khan, November 16 at Local 506

Best Local Garage Rock Band
Last Year’s Men – So young, but so good

Best Hip-Hop Albums
Get blunted and drive slow.
1) KD – G Fluid
2) A$AP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP
3) G-Side – iSLAND
4) Danny Brown & Black Milk – Black & Brown
5) Rittz – White Jesus

Best Hip-Hop Show
Jackie Chain, Freddie Gibbs, and Big K.R.I.T. at Cat’s Cradle

Most Predictably Terrible Hip-Hop Album
You knew it was over as soon as he signed to Eminem’s label
1) Yelawolf – Radioactive

Best Drinking Wine on the Porch With Your Lady Albums
You know you’re getting old when you find yourself liking more and more bands who can sing and play instruments and shit.
1) The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient
2) Yellowbirds – The Color
3) Cults – Cults
4) Charles Bradley – No Time for Dreaming
5) My Morning Jacket – Circuital
6) Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
7) Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo
8) Real Estate – Days
9) Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde

Most Disappointing Live Show
Smith Westerns – everyone but the lead singer looked bored as shit

Best Local Drinking Wine With Your Lady Band
The Love Language – the new songs they played at Hopscotch were INCREDIBLE, also I got to see them play live about seven times this year.

Other Crazy Shit I Loved
1) Quintron – Sucre Du Sauvage
2) Toro Y Moi – Freaking Out
3) Bosco Delrey – Everybody Wah
4) James Pants – James Pants

Most Disappointing Canceled Tour of 2011
Quintron & Miss Pussycat – I hope whatever personal issue caused him to cancel his tour wasn’t too terrible.

Most Disapoointing Shows I Had to Miss Because I Was Out of Town Or There Was Another Show I Went to That Night
Wavves / Best Coast
Girls
Sean Price
De La Soul

Acts I’ve Never Seen Before That I’d Most Like to See in 2012
Thee Oh Sees
Wavves
Girls
Sean Price

Best Music Festival of 2011
Hopscotch

Best Music Festival of 2012
Hopscotch (seriously, splurge for the VIP pass…it’s worth it)

Best Songs That Didn’t Make a Monthly Mix
Every month, there are all sorts of great songs that fail to make the monthly mixes. Here’s the best of the songs that almost made it.
1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Morning Thought
2) The War on Drugs – Brothers
3) Real Estate – It’s Real
4) Antibalas – Se Chifló
5) Charles Bradley – How Long
6) Black Lips – Noc-A-Homa
7) T.I. (feat. Pharrell) - Here Ye, Hear Ye 
8) Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy – Nothin Lesser
9) Sir Michael Rocks – Wassup
10) Lil’ Boosie – Ratched It (Bird Peterson Remix)
11) Toro Y Moi – Freaking Out
12) 151 Feva Gang – Kush Groove
13) Meek Mill (feat. Rick Ross) - Tupac Back
14) Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Lou Ferigno’s Mad
15) Fam-Lay – What’s My Name
16) E-40 – My Lil Grimey Nigga
17) Danny Brown – I Will
18) ESG – Dance
19) Future Islands – Tin Man
20) James Pants – Every Night
21) Thee Oh Sees – Corrupted Coffin
22) Mikal Cronin – Gone
23) Mind Spiders – Go!

Download the Entire Losers of 2011 Mix Here

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE DEC 2011 MIX HERE

Here’s what I was listening to when I got tired of listening to my family:

• G-Side – iSLAND:  The two albums they dropped in 2011 were better than most rappers’ entire careers.
• Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler/The Dream:  The two albums they dropped in 2011 were better than most bands’ entire careers.
• Jet Life – Jet World Order: The moment that Trademark and Young Roddy became useful rappers.

Honorable mentions go to Kurt Vile’s So Outta Reach EP, and LE$’s Settle 4 LE$ Vol. 2.

On to the mix:

1) Thee Oh Sees – Contraption/Soul Desert
I’m used to hearing these guys churn out 2-minute blasts of weirdness and garage gems. Impressed that they have the ability to make 5-minute songs incredibly exciting, too.

2) Thee Oh Sees – Robber Barons
Also, they’re quickly becoming the one band I’d most like to see live.

3) Ty Segall – Lovely One
Acoustic demo(?) version of the Lemons track.

4) Kurt Vile – Laughing Stock
I like Kurt Vile when he sounds like he’s got a serious chip on his shoulder, like he does here.

5) David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights – Diamond Mine
The pleasant surprise from the Merge Spring sampler CD that (I think) showed up via my schwag bag from Hopscotch.

6) Carter Tanton – Gauze of Song
I had almost forgotten about Carter Tanton (and his great former band Tulsa) until I caught him opening for the War on Drugs back in October.

7) Amy Winehouse – Halftime
So sad that her life devolved into little more than a punchline these last few years. She was an incredible talent.

8) Joyce Williams – The First Thing I Do In The Morning
Word to Extra Prolific’s “Brown Sugar (Domino Remix)”

9) Homeboy Sandman – Same Number Same Hood
The latest Stones Throw signee is a good one.

10) G-Side – Impossible (Javelin Remix)
Whoa, I like this remix even more than I liked the (very good) original.

11) The Roots – Kool On (feat. Greg Porn & Truck North)
The latest one from the Roots has been getting critical acclaim, but am I the only one who thinks they’ve essentially just made the same album four times in a row (Game Theory, Rising Down, How I Got Over, and now undun)?

12) Little Ben & The Cheers – Never More
Has the RZA sampled the opening to this song, or does it just sound like something he should sample?

13) Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe – El Malo
After telling myself how much I love “La Murga” for the thousandth time, I finally got around to finding some more Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe music. I’m glad I did.

14) Jeff St. John – Eastern Dream
If you haven’t been checking out egotrip’s series of various producers’ favorite sample flips, you’ve been missing out.

15) G-Side – Cast Away Ft. Joi Tiffany
The first hip-hop song to shout out the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria?

16) Jet Life – 1st Place
Looks like I wasn’t the only one to notice Sir Michael Rocks’ excellent output of late, as he’s now the newest member of Curren$y’s Jet crew. “ain’t no ring on her finger like LeBron’s hand.”

17) LE$ – 3rd Coastin’ (ft. Killa Kyleon & Paul Wall)
I was going to say that this song makes you forget the cold weather. But it’s 65 out right now.

18) G-Side – Atmosphere Ft. PH
So many great songs to choose from off of iSLAND. I love the part where ST is rapping his ass off before the beat fully kicks in.

19) Expendable Youth – Heyo!
The first release from Mad Decent imprint Jeffree’s is a winner. 1 for 1 for the new guys.

The Tweets of 2011 that had me laughing (damn straight, some of my own tweets crack me up):

 

 

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE NOVEMBER 2011 MIX HERE

Late again…a busy end of the month, mostly spent eating my face off. Was travelling for work this past weekend, and caught a Dam-Funk show, however. He exceeded all expectations. Another guy who exceeded expectations was Bloodshot Bill, aka King Khan’s new partner in crime as the Tandoori Knights.

Oh yeah…albums I liked:

• A$AP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP
• Danny Brown & Black Milk – Black & Brown
• PUJOL – Nasty, Brutish & Short
• Fungi Girls – Some Easy Magic
• Real Estate – Days

Honorable mentions go to MED, Fat Joe, and Sir Michael Rocks.

On to the mix.

1) G-Side – Hot Sex and Cold Wine (feat. Johnny Spanish)
I’m thankful that the stuff that didn’t make G-Side’s album is better than everyone else’s shit.

2) A$AP Rocky – Trilla (Feat. ASAP Twelvy & ASAP Nast)
While I’m not convinced on A$AP Rocky as a rapper, I’m thankful for his ear for beats and ability to put an album together.

3) Danny Brown & Black Milk – Dada
I’m thankful for Danny Brown giving me phrases to sprinkle into my every-day conversations: “Tell my why your breath smells like a burning bag of bad cock.”

4) MED – Blaxican
I’m thankful for Madlib beats that can make the most average rapper sound amazing (but probably not nearly as thankful as MED is).

5) Danny Brown & Black Milk - Lol
“Put my dick on her nose, now she look like Pippen.” I’m thankful for Danny Brown’s endless quotables.

6) Cliff Nobles – Love Is All Right
I’m thankful that songs that I thought were already on my iPod sometimes get reposted by blogs I read.

7) De La Soul – Breakadawn (Fela Soul Remix)
I’m thankful that copyright laws aren’t always enforced to the letter of the law, giving us things like remixes of De La Soul over nothing but beats concocted from Fela samples, and these great t-shirts.

8) Mayer Hawthorne – Dreaming
While I was slightly disappointed in Mayer’s latest album, I’m thankful I can give it some more listens before passing final judgment.

9) Michael Kiwanuka – Worry Walks Beside Me
I’m thankful that Michael Kiwanuka continues to absolutely blow me away.  Discovering new music like this is what keeps me doing these things (almost) every month.

10) G-Side – Miss Me
Again, I’m thankful that G-Side or so talented that they can pump out such an amazing songs not even on iSLAND?

11) A$AP Rocky – Kissin’ Pink (Feat. ASAP Ferg)
I’m thankful for problems like struggling to determine whether to include this song or “Houston Old Head.”

12) Jackie Chain – Parked Outside (ft. Big K.R.I.T. & Bun B)
I’m thankful that this video exists.

13) Ludacris – I’m on Fire (ft. Big K.R.I.T.)
I’m thankful that potentially commercially-viable rappers (see also, The Roots) tapping Big K.R.I.T. for guest verses.

14) Rick Ross – I Love My Bitches
I’m thankful that potentially dead rappers tapping Just Blaze for good beats.

15) Fat Joe – DopeMan ft Jadakiss, Dre
I’m thankful for once-wack rappers who are no longer wack.

16) No Face (ft. 2 Live Crew) – Fake Hair Wearin’ Bitch
I’m thankful that Luke beat Tipper.

17) Sir Michael Rocks – I’m Doggin’
Anyone else thankful that Sir Michael Rocks has been pumping out a shedload of super-breezy cool-guy rap songs this year (and the occiasional throwback knocker, like this one)? He seems to be flying under the radar.

18) Joeski Love – Pee Wee Dance
I’m not at all thankful for the severe drop-off in the quality of novelty dance songs over the years. Joeski Love > Soulja Boy.

19) Personal and the Pizzas – I Can Read
I’m almost as thankful for the interludes to the songs on Personal and the Pizzas albums, as I am for the actual music.

20) PUJOL – Scully
I’m thankful for the times when I go to a show (in this case, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists) and there’s an opener I’ve never heard of who really impresses me.

21) Fungi Girls – Doldrums
I’m thankful that I’m still not sick of the seemingly endless number of grage rock bands out there.

22) Real Estate – Younger Than Yesterday
And I’m also thankful for mellow stuff that sounds great when you’re hanging out drinking wine with your wife (though I’m much more thankful for wine and the woman who for some reason likes to hang out with me).

DOWNLOAD PART 1 HERE
DOWNLOAD PART 2 HERE

It’s been a long time. I shouldn’t have left you.

Sorry. Sometimes doing things gets in the way of not doing things. I won’t bore you with a recap of my life, but I will say that those of you who failed to make it to Raleigh for the Hopscotch Music Festival failed at September. So much fun.

So what albums hit me these past two months?

• Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
• The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient
• Mikal Cronin – Mikal Cronin
• Toro Y Moi – Freaking Out EP

Lots of albums that were pretty good, but not great. Honorable mentions to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Curren$y, Smoke DZA, Median, J-Live, and Jack Oblivian.

On to your double-strength mix:

1) Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Huzzah!
“What’s your gimmick? I said ‘goin in’”

2) Nickel Plated – Raped & Smothered (Ft. Action Bronson)
Bronsolini sounds good over some more ominous head-knock shit. Sounds like he’s toned down the GFK and found his own voice.

3) Roc Marciano – My Persona
Speaking of head-knock shit, here’s the reigning king.

4) El-P – Drones Over BKLYN
Everyone praises El for his production (deserved), but don’t forget dude can rap his ass off.

5) Wooden Shjips – Lazy Bones
Wooohhh…those guitars are unrelenting. This is the type of song that has you all the sudden doing 90 down the highway without realizing it.

6) Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin – Pop Song
And this is the type of song that has you crushing a six-pack in a 2-minute span without realizing it.

7) Gross Ghost – Devious
How many good bands can you fit into one city (Raleigh)?

8) Mikal Cronin – Apathy
If you like Ty Segall, you’ll like Mikal Cronin. If you don’t like Ty Segall (or Mikal Cronin) get off my blog (word to Milk D).

9) Male Bonding – Mysteries Complete
I really liked the first Male Bonding album better. This new one teeters on the edge of what I think Blink 182 probably sounded like.

10) Ty Segall – Bullet Proof Nothing
I love that these punk dudes have incredible singles that I knew nothing about.

11) Apache Dropout – Nothing In My Hand
A band who was at Hopscotch who I didn’t get to see, but who I wish I had gotten to see.

12) Michael Kiwanuka – I Need Your Company
My favorite discovery of the month(s). A new soul singer from England on that Charles Bradley/Lee Fields tip.

13) Antibalas – Rat Race
My theme music for the month(s). Shouts to those at Occupy Raleigh and the worldwide Occupy movement.

14) Blu – Ronald Morgan (ft. Edan)
Normally, Blu rapping over an old Madlib beat probably wouldn’t make it to a mix. But the reclusive Edan rapping over an old Madlib beat…that’s automatic! I remain forever waiting for Edan’s follow-up to Beauty and the Beat.

15) Danny Brown – DNA
I like this song, but, let’s be honest, I can’t really relate to it.  If I were honestly to remake this song about my family influences, it’d go “It’s in my DNA, cause my pops like to do crosswords the same way.”

16) Mouce – My Shoes
The year of DJ Burn One continues.

17) P Watts – Purple Thoughts ft. KD, Scotty & P. Dukes
The year of DJ Burn One continues.

18) Scotty – Husslin
The year of DJ Burn One continues.

19) Dam Funk – Foerever
Real talk, lots of the stuff Dam Funk has been dropping recently has sounded pretty half-baked. This song has restored my faith.

20) Terius Nash – Long Gone
The 2011 version of Here, My Dear.

21) Aaliyah – Rock the Boat (Dam-Funk Remix)
Dam should remix the entire catalog of every 90s R&B singer.

22) Toro Y Moi – I Can Get Love
Oh, hey…these guys were at Hopscotch and it was fun as shit (much more fun than at Pitchfork since their music is made for clubs at night rather than mid-afternoon in a scorching-hot city park).

23) Peedi Crack – Toyfriend
If Peedi made an entire album with Diplo and Booman and DJ Sega, I’d be a happy man.

24) Maluca and The Partysquad – Lola (Ging Danga)
MIA is dead, long live Maluca.

25) Main Attrakionz – U.G.K. f/ A$AP Rocky
I’m starting to come around to whatever label has been put on this sub-genre/scene.

26) Waka Flocka – Round Of Applause
Waka does his own Main Attrakionz impression here.

27) Buddy – Awesome Awesome
The newest Neptunes protege.

28) Roach Gigz – F A Chorus
Rappitty rappitty rap.

29) Boss Hogg Outlawz – Shut Yo Hood Down (Le$, Dre Day, Slim Thug)
Am I the only guy still checking for these guys? The only Houston guys I ever see getting blog-love are Z-Ro and Killa Kyleon.  I guess Slim Thug is no longer blog-cool, even though he keeps putting out good music.

30) Smoke DZA – Notorious Feat. Fiend, & Big Sant
I like Smoke DZA, but Fiend (as he’s been known to do) steals it.  I will have Fiend singing on the hook on every song on my debut album.

31) Big K.R.I.T. – Money On The Floor (feat. 2 Chainz, 8Ball & MJG)
I don’t know why Tity Boi changed his name to the much less exciting 2 Chainz.

32) Black Trump – Sippin (ft. Z-Ro & Ronnie Spencer)
Fuck it, I’ll drink some syrup with anyone who can get me some, as long as I get to provide the soundtrack.

33) S.L.A.S.H. – Hurry Up Wait
Hadn’t heard much from the Slow Motion crew since January. Oh yeah, their beats are still incredible.

34) G-Side – Gettin It (ft Stalley & Joi Tiffany)
Island drops 11/11.

35) The War on Drugs – It’s Your Destiny
For the most part, listening to music is something I do while doing other things (reading, working, chores, etc.). War on Drugs make me want to put on the headphones and do nothing but listen.

36) Wilco – I Might
I’ll forever have trouble separating my enjoyment-level for Wilco’s new album from how much I fucking hated seeing them at the godawful Raleigh Downtown Amphitheatre. That place is horrible.

37) Girls – Vomit
It’s fun watching a very good band become great.

38) Future Islands – Long Flight
These guys played a big part of making Hopscotch awesome. If you’ve never seen Sam Herring stalk the stage, you’ve lived an incomplete life.

Sorry, no September Mix this month.  Been too busy living.  Regular programming will resume next month.

To make it up to you, check out the best of Gil Scott-Heron mix below.

It’s been about four months since we lost one of the world’s greatest musicians.  As much as I loved his music, I’m no Gil Scott-Heron expert.  I’m not trying to pretend that the songs below are necessarily his most important songs.  But they’re my favorite of his songs.

For those of you who’ve never gotten into Gil Scott-Heron, jump on in.  For those who are already familiar, hopefully there’s a song or two below that you’ve overlooked.  Enjoy.

1) Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
2) A Legend In His Own Mind
3) Home Is Where The Hatred Is
4) The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
5) Pieces Of A Man
6) The Klan
7) Lady Day and John Coltrane
8) Your Daddy Loves You (for Gia Louise)
9) Did You Hear What They Said?
10) The Bottle
11) We Almost Lost Detroit
12) Comment #1
13) Winter in America
14) The Needle’s Eye
15) Whitey On The Moon
16) New York is Killing Me (ft. Mos Def)
17) I’ll Take Care Of You
18) Me And The Devil

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE MIX HERE

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE AUGUST 2011 MIX HERE

August.  It was hot.  I didn’t go to any shows for the first time in forever.  Saving my energy for the Hopscotch Festival this weekend!

Good albums this month:

• Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo: Was pleasantly surprised by his show at Pitchfork.  Was subsequently pleasantly surprised by his album.
• Gangrene – Greneberg EP: I initially underrated last year’s Gangrene album, but it’s been something I’ve found myself returning to frequently.  Add some Roc Marciano to an already winning formula, and you have an extra-winning formula?

Honorable mentions to Watch the Throne and Ghostfunk.  On to the mix:

1) Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
File under: guys who’ve got sort of a Dylan thing going on, even though I’ve never gotten into Dylan.

2) Booker T. Jones (Featuring Yim Yames) – Progress
I have officially forgiven Jim James for Evil Urges.

3) Theophilus London – No Particular One
Maybe Theophilus should give up rapping and just make retro Caribbean-sounding shit like this?

4) Ghostfunk – Danger 500
From the same dude who brought you Mos Dub. Ghostface over some West African funk/pop songs from the 70s. I’m in.

5) Kendrick Lamar – Rigamortus
Talented up and comer who I hope avoids the pitfalls of somewhat-same-lane-type rappers such as Wale, B.O.B., or Lupe.

6) Kanye West & Jay-Z – Gotta Have It

7) Leo’s Sunshipp – Back for More
A song that sounds like August 1979.

8) Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band – Stay Away
I never would have realized this was a Nirvana cover if I hadn’t read it on the internets.

9) The Cool Kids – Summer Jam (ft. Maxine Ashley)
A song that sounds like August 1996.

10) Gangrene – Papercuts
Best described as “understandable smooth shit that murderers move with.”

11) Blu – Lucky
Speaking of smooth shit.

12) Generationals – Green Leaf Black Heart
Something I came across while doing my Hopscotch homework. Cool song, even though it’s probably not enough to get me to their show (i.e., not enough to get me to miss Vivian Girls or Disappears).

13) DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – A Touch Of Jazz
I love “T Plays it Cool” and I might even love it more with some big drums underneath it.

14) Boss Hogg Outlawz – Get High (feat. Slim Thug, J-Dawg & Le$)
J-Dawg is one of my favorite rappers nobody talks about, even if he commits the sin of going with the “higher than giraffe pussy” line in this song (I think we’ve all heard that one from about 852 different rappers by now).

15) Pusha T – Trouble On My Mind feat. Tyler The Creator
Your soundtrack to rollin’ in a Rascal and causing mayhem.

16) Pimp C – Gorillaz (feat. Bun B & Da Underdawgz)
The new Pimp C album is so half-assed, they couldn’t even find a half-finished Pimp C verse to paste into this song.

17) Gucci Mane – Brrrr (Supa Cold)
I find it impossible to believe that Gucci Mane didn’t already have a song called “Brrrr.”

18) Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci
The most divisive song of 2011! I’m thinking I’m pro-”Gucci Gucci” but mostly anti-Kreayshawn.

19) Lil B – Unchain Me
The Based God makes his first appearance on a Monthly Mix, thanks almost entirely to a ridiculous Clams Casino beat.

20) Mavado – Delilah (Diplo Remix)
I can’t think of anything more fun than being Diplo and travelling around the Caribbean.

21) Paul Devro – Cair A Ficha – Original Mix
A song that’s helping me get back into jogging after a slow July.

22) South Rakkas Crew, Gangsta Kid F, D-rakkas – Gangsta Revival – Original Mix
I’ve said it a thousand times, if you like Major Lazer, do yourself a favor and go out and get everything that South Rakkas Crew have ever done.

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE JULY 2011 MIX HERE

Busy month, mostly spent hot and not working. I guess music-wise, the highlight was going to the Pitchfork Music Festival. But then I realized there weren’t many bands there that had me really excited. G-Side was cool. Tune-yards sounded great. Kurt Vile provided a nice soundtrack for laying down in the afternoon shade. And TV on the Radio were probably extremely good, but my old ass was mostly too exhausted to really care by then. I think the main takeaway is that A) I’m getting too old for outdoor summer festivals, and B) I’m way more excited for Raleigh’s Hopscotch Music Festival coming up here in September.

Meanwhile, there were some good albums

• Cults – Cults: I’d put “Abducted”, “Go Outside” and “You Know What I Mean” against the first three songs of just about any album I’ve ever heard.  Great way to open an album.
• WU LYF – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain:  Every song on here is an epic, fist-pumping anthem.
• Thee Oh Sees – Castlemania:  Every time I hear a new Thee Oh Sees album (which is often…they’re prolific fuckers), it takes me a few listens for me to move from “this is annoying” to “this is awesome.”  If they ain’t your cup of tea, I understand.

Honorable mention to the Black Lips’ Arabia Mountain, Shabazz Palaces Black Up, Bon Iver’s Bon Iver, Random Axe’s Random Axe, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

On to the mix:
1) Guided by Voices – I Am a Tree
Indie legends (who mostly don’t do much for me). But I tried to get familiar before seeing them at Pitchfork. They’ll also be appearing at Hopscotch in their last ever performance.

2) Black Lips – Mad Dog
I’m glad Mark Ronson didn’t try to make these guys sound like something they’re not. Black Lips will also be appearing at Hopscotch as part of a killer Thursday night at Lincoln Theatre.

3) Thee Oh Sees – If I Stay Too Long
Forgot to mention that Thee Oh Sees are also front-runners for my favorite album cover of the year:

4) Shabazz Palaces – Are You… Can You… Were You? (Felt)
The warmest song on a very cold (but interesting) album. An album (and a live performance) that I more appreciate than enjoy.

5) Jim-E Stack – Lemme
Unfortunately, not an ode to this guy:

6) CyHi Da Prynce (feat. Yelawolf & La Roux) - Bulletproof
I don’t care much for CyHi, but anybody can sound good over this beat. Yelawolf ain’t just anybody. He sounds incredible over this beat. Also, Yelawolf will be at Hopscotch.

7) Cocaine 80s – Anywhere But Here
At first, I thought the Common song would be the representative from the Cocaine 80s EP to make it to this month’s mix. But over the course of the month, this James Fauntleroy song really grew on me. And I don’t normally dig on R&B.

8) Cults – You Know What I Mean
This will be the score to some dramatic movie or TV show by the end of the year. That chorus can’t be denied.

9) Bon Iver – Calgary
Great article about Bon Iver in the Indyweek by Grayson Currin.

10) Cults – Abducted
Speaking of abducted, anyone seen Barack Obama’s spine anywhere? Am I right? (you’re welcome to have that one, Mr. Leno)

11) Don Julian & The Larks – The Jerk
Don Julian’s falsetto is giving Justin Vernon a run for his money this month.

12) Kanye West & Jay-Z – Otis
My second favorite rap song about elevators?

13) Hitman Shawty (ft. Rittz & Slick) – I Cried
Kanye ain’t the only guy who can make a dope song out of a soul loop. Props to Cory Mo. For some reason, this one reminds me of Kanye’s “Spaceship“.

14) Apathy – Check to Check
The Lesser Depression (© Paul Krugman, 2011) is hitting Honkey Kong hard.

15) Freddie Gibbs (ft. Smoke DZA & Chace Infinite) – Keep It Warm For Ya
Recession ain’t bothering these guys…they’re too balls deep inside your chick to be worried about money.

16) Random Axe – Random Call
Sean P lays down the mission statement: “Yo, you can’t mess with the bomb shit / Me Guilty and Black is aggressive content / Don’t loveletter-rhymes in raps about chicks / Just the whole lot of drugging and thugging that’s it”

17) Nas – Nasty
Nas is bringing back that Nasty Nas! Or so we’ve been told via just about every one of his post-Illmatic’s albums “street singles.” Not getting my hopes up, even though this is undeniably dope.

18) Beastie Boys (ft. Santigold) – Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win (Major Lazer Remix)
Diplo & Switch give this song the bump that it deserves.

19) Dick Khoza – Chapita (Nordy Edit)
Yep, my first foray into production. You like how I made the executive order to cut 2 1/2 minutes off the end and added in a fade-out? Look out, Kanye!

20) Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Thought Ballune
Unknown Mortal Orchestra is what would happen if Tame Impala geeked-out on Ultimate Breaks & Beats.

21) WU LYF – Spitting Blood

RIP Amy Winehouse and Eugene McDaniels