(Spider Bags, picture courtesy of Mann's World)

February saw the Super Bowl, Gil Scott-Heron, Spider Bags (above), two failed attempts to get my ass off the couch to check out Whatever Brains, lots of cold weather, and too much Winter Olympics.  It was also the month of some decent-but-not-great albums (Surfer Blood, Harlem, Demon’s Claws, Past Lives, the Mantles).

Albums I enjoyed (enough to recommend) this month:

• Spoon – Transference: Much more tense and unnerving than their past efforts. But they were due for a bit of a weird departure since they were in danger of having all their albums sound kind of same-ish.
• Strong Arm Steady – In Search of Stoney Jackson: Arguably the single most consistent collection of Madlib beats ever collected on one album. Sometimes Madlib is hit-or-miss, but here he’s nearly flawless front to back.

On to March.

1) Strong Arm Steady (ft. Mitchy Slick) – Two Pistols
Dedicated to my gangsters who do more than stand around an drink beer

2) Dice Raw – Lemonade
Dice Raw kills the Gucci Mane beat with his stutter flow.

3) Medina Green (ft. Mos Def) – Fa La Lashe
Classic Rawkus, courtesy of Noz. “If you ain’t got you better get”

4) Strong Arm Steady (ft. Roscoe & Guilty Simpson) – Needle in the Haystack
Guilty Simpson is a menacing beast: “Try to act, I swing the bat, Joe Clark a dude.”

5) Oddisee – Khartoum
Oddisee deserves a medal for unearthing this baseline.

6) Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band – Woman Pin Down
This month’s winner for best band name.

7) Surfer Blood – Take It Easy
I don’t know about Best New Music, but these dudes have promise.

8) Vampire Weekend – Cousins
I really don’t know about Best New Music for Contra, but this song is pretty undeniable.

9) Spoon – Written in Reverse
Even when he sounds like he’s losing it, Britt Daniel sounds about 30 times cooler than anyone you know.

10) Whatever Brains – Summer Jammin’
This song begs to be sung along to, swinging a beer in the air.

11) Harlem – Friendly Ghost

12) Demon’s Claws – Put On My Sunday Dress
“I smell like bourbon oozing from skin”…”when I go home I want to eat like a living dead” — pretty much sums up my Sunday.

13) Vivian Girls – I Have No Fun
For some reason, I believe her. She sounds miserable.

14) Whatever Brains – Mt. Whatever
Quickly becoming my favorite local band.

15) Curren$y – Scared of Monstas
Curren$y doesn’t do much for me, but this beat knocks.

16) South Rakkas Crew (ft. Capleton) – Bun Up 3000
Would love to hear this song played here
.
17) Sugar Tongue Slim – Love Lockdown
The highlight of the Roots show in December was undoubtedly when they brought out some unknown rapper named Sugar Tongue Slim who immediately won over the crowd with this song right here.

18) Saukrates – Wednesday
Hard to believe it’s been 11 years since Saukrates dropped the Underground Tapes. I’m glad he was able to take some time out of his schedule as Nelly Furtado’s backup singer to give us some new music.

19) Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime (ft. M.E.D. & Big Pooh) – Endure
Who knew that GAM had that G Funk in her?

20) Nipsey Hu$$le – Hussle in the House
Sure, the beat is pretty much biting the gimmick used on Snoop’s “I Wanna Rock”, but I’m not mad.

21) Yelawolf – Deer Mama
Making a song about your f*cked up moms is probably not the best way for a white rapper to avoid Eminem comparisons.

22) SwagZilla & Stackamil – Wut2dayiz?
Block Beataz came with some smooth pimp shit on this one. Would have made a great summer song.

23) Gucci Mane – Dangers Not a Stranger (Diplo Remix)
Remember last month when I complained about “progressive” remixes of Southern rap? Case in point, the largely disappointing and unnecessary Diplo Presents: Free Gucci (Best of The Cold War Mixtapes).

24) Donnie and Joe Emerson – Baby
Can you believe that a song this great appeared an an album with a cover that’s this bad?

Sounds like it could be a lost Jim James demo (courtesy of Soul Sides).

25) Past Lives – Hex Takes Hold
Looking forward to catching these guys open for the Thermals in April.

J Dilla – Trucks

Can you believe I’ve been doing these monthly mixes for 3 years now!  Christ, time moves faster and faster the older I get.

Good albums this month:

• Local Natives – Gorilla Manor: Probably not going to make my top 10 for 2010 or anything, but a really nice debut. If you dig bands like Foreign Born, I think you’ll like this one, too.
• Yelawolf – Trunk Muzik: Again, probably not going to make my top 10. But Yelawolf is a star in the making. Alabama continues to dominate hip-hop.
• Various Artists – ODL New Years Gift: Not really an album, but I’ve got to bring attention to this treasure trove of disco/boogie/electro-funk that U-Tern dropped on the world to usher in 2010. If you dig the disco/boogie/electro-funk stuff I post here, you need to head over to onedaylater.blogspot.com and download both parts immediately.
• Various Artists – DJ Spinna Presents the Boogie Back: Between this and the U-Tern stuff, I was getting my boogie on in January.

As always, let me know if there’s anything I missed.

1) Jimmy Bo Horne – Is It In?
I’ll take “Things You Never Want to Hear a Girl Ask You” for $1,000, Alex.

2) Jan Leslie Holmes – I’m Your Superman
Somebody named “Jan Leslie” is probably one of the last people you’d expect to be your superman.

3) Alphonse Mouzon – Everybody Get Down
Little known fact: before he joined the Nation of Islam, before he started reading Harpers, and before he became a cold-ass killing machine, Brother Mouzon lead a disco band.

4) James Pants – Thin Moon
Seven Seals might be the strangest album that Stones Throw as ever released. And, yes, Stones Throw is the same record label that released two concept albums about a helium-voiced, weed-smoking alien who likes to bang hookers and throw bricks at people.

5) Local Natives – Shape Shifter
Their kinda like a non-boring Fleet Foxes.

6) The Walkmen – Little House of Savages
Moving backwards in filling out my Walkmen catalog. I’m assuming you already have “The Rat” on your iPods, so I’m posting this song instead. Hamilton Leithauser’s voice is, as always, quite moving. His name is, as always, pretty hilarious.

7) Sleigh Bells – Ring Ring
Blog hype, blog hype, blog hype!!! Hype be damned, this shit is catchy.

8) Yelawolf (ft. Juelz Santana) – Mixing Up the Medicine Remix
I’m not a Juelz hater, but I wish the Yela-to-Juelz verse ratio was inverted for this song. I need more Yelawolf!

9) Young Jeezy – I Got This (El-P Remix)
95% of “progressive” remixes of southern hip-hop end up making things worse. El-P beat the odds.

10) Motor Skills – Right as Hell
One of my favorite year-end traditions is when the Independent Weekly drops their “40 Essential Triangle Tunes.” It’s a great reminder that the music scene in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill is really fucking incredible. It’s also a great way to discover local bands I’ve never heard of, like Motor Skills.

11) The Smith Westerns – Girl In Love
It’s yet another lo-fi garage rock band. I’m growing incredibly tired of the lo-fi schtick (it’s become the Autotune of indie-rock). But sometimes there are some nice little songs buried under the muck.

12) Whatever Brains – Eli Porter, Class of 2005
And the award for “Best Song Title Ever” goes to Raleigh’s Whatever Brains! Just like Whatever Brains, I’m still angry that Eli got robbed in the Iron Mic battle of 2003. Maybe their follow-up single will memorialize riyadh’s controversial defeat in the Cheesecake Factory freestyle battle of 2009. Can’t wait to catch these guys this Thursday.

13) The Lessondary – BANG!
Von Pea’s “right” at 0:16 is the front-runner for adlib of the year. Cracks me up, for some reason. Tanya Morgan at the Pour House on 2/26.

14) eLZhi – The Crowd
eLZhi’s leftover tracks > your favorite rapper’s album.

15) Black Milk (ft. AB & Daru Jones) – Keep Going
Black Milk’s drums > your favorite producer’s life.

16) X.O. – Fast Life
As someone who rang in 2010 with a chili half-smoke from Ben’s, it’s only appropriate that I include a song from a DMV rapper.

17) Count Bass D & DJ Pocket – Everyday Ritual
The world deserves a Count Bass D – MF DOOM collabo. DJ Pocket is no DOOM, sadly.

18) Dynamite Brothers – In Time
Maybe I’m stretching a bit, but this kinda sounds like what would have happened if Tunde Adebimpe was making records for Stax instead of Touch and Go.

19) Bobby Reed – Time Is Right for Love (Prince of Ballard Remix)
A dope little remix that adds a little bit more knock without straying too much from the original. Courtesy of Soul Sides.

20) Billy Stewart – Cross My Heart
Yeah, it’s the sample source for the fantastic “Exhibit C” but it’s also a fantastic song in its own right…and a potential first dance song? (courtesy Steady Bloggin’)

Jay Reatard — May 1, 1980 – January 13, 2010

Damn.

Top 5 Shows (chronological order)

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – February 14, Nokia Theatre, NYC

Quintron & Miss Pussycat – April 29, Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC

The Thermals – May 15, Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC

Clipse – August 31, The National, Richmond, VA

Mayer Hawthorne – October 5, Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC

Mos Def – October 19, The Independent, San Francisco

Top 10 Rock Songs (no particular order)
Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
Girls – Hellhole Ratrace
The Flaming Lips – Silver Trembling Hands
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Japandroids – Young Hearts Spark Fire
The Love Language – Lalita
The Thermals – Now We Can See
Phoenix – 1901
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll
Yo La Tengo – Here to Fall

Top 15 Hip-Hop Songs (no particular order)
Big Boi (ft. Gucci Mane) – Shine Blockas
Clipse (ft. Cam’ron) – Popular Demand
The Cool Kids (ft. Tennille) – Jump Rope
Drake (ft. Bun B & Lil’ Wayne) – Uptown
G-Side (ft. PT) – Aura
Jay Electronica – Exhibit C
Lil’ Wayne (ft. Pharrell) – Yes
MF Doom – Gazzillion Ear
Mos Def – Supermagic
Pac Div – Mayor
Raekwon (ft. Ghostface Killah & Method Man) – Wu Ooh
Rich Boy – Drop
Gucci Mane (ft. Plies) – Wasted
Freddie Gibbs (ft. Pill) – Womb 2 the Tomb
Young Jeezy (ft. Lil’ Boosie & Webbie) – Betta Believe It

Best New Artists from 2009
Dam Funk
Pill
Freddie Gibbs
The Soft Pack
Japandroids
Girls

Top 25 Albums
25. White Rabbits – It’s Frightening

24. Spider Bags – Goodbye Cruel World, Hello Crueler World

23. G Mane – Sunday on da Porch

22. The Morning Benders – Talking Through Tin Cans

21. Clipse – Til the Casket Drops

20. The Points – The Points

19. Freddie Gibbs – midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik

18. Obits – I Blame You

17. Lil’ Wayne – No Ceilings

16. The Love Language – The Love Language

15. Dam Funk – Toeachizown

14. Girls – Album

13. Foreign Born – Person to Person

12. Mos Def – The Ecstatic

11. Reigning Sound – Love and Curses

10. The Soft Pack – The Muslims EP

9. V/A – Darker Than Blue: Soul From Jamdown 1973-1980

8. The Thermals – Now We Can See

7. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2

6. Japandroids – Post-Nothing

5. Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do

4. G-Side – Starshipz & Rocketz

3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

2. Flaming Lips – Embryonic

1. Lee Fields & the Expressions – My World

Well damn. That was fast. No more ‘09. No more aughts. Here’s to hoping that being in your 30’s is really the new being in your 20’s. Otherwise, the prime of my life was wasted in one of the all-time lamest decades (at least according to Paul Krugman).

Oh well. The economy and my investments might have suffered through the decade, but I certainly had my share of fun. And I listened to some great music. December 2009 was no exception, with shows from Jay Reatard, the Roots, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, as well as some fine albums dropped by the following:

• Souls of Mischief – Montezuma’s Revenge: A surprisingly nice return to form from a group with undeniable talent, but that last dropped an album I liked over 16 years ago. The lesson here: get Prince Paul to produce your albums.
• Clipse – Til the Casket Drops: I was a bit disappointed.  I think it’s more to do with having heard most of these songs over the past several months. Hearing songs early takes away the “wow” factor (especially since I really liked all the songs I heard early), and it then seems weird hearing those songs in the context of the album.
• G-Side – Huntsville International: I was a bit disappointed.  I think it’s more to do with having heard most of these songs over the past several months. Hearing songs early takes away the “wow” factor (especially since I really liked all the songs I heard early), and it then seems weird hearing those songs in the context of the album. Yes, I just copied and pasted on purpose.
• G Mane – Sunday on da Porch: Wow. I had heard some good G Mane tracks before this dropped (see July Vol. 2), but I wasn’t expecting him to drop such a quality album. G Mane’s laid-back, wise-old-man raps work perfectly with Mick Vegas’ soul samples.
• DJ O-Dub – Love Me, Love Me, Love Me Or Leave Me, Leave Me, Leave Me: A fantastic mix of female soul heartbreak from the man who almost was going to DJ my upcoming wedding.
• The King Khan & BBQ Show – Invisible Girl:  Good album.  Incredible cover art.

As always, let me know what I missed.

1) Vicki Anderson – I Want To Be In The Land Of Milk & Honey
Yesterday, I was in Seattle, which was nice. But I’m really glad to be back in the Land of Milk & Honey. (from Steady Bloggin)

2) Dennis Coffey – Theme From Black Belt Jones
A man this cool deserves a kick-ass theme song like this one.

3) Gnonnas Pedro et ses Dadjes – Dadje Von O Von Non
While most fans of African music were tripping over the new (and overly long) Ghana Special comp, the boys at Mixtape Riot were looking to Benin to find the good stuff.

4) Major Lazer – Pon De Floor (Beat Eat Bones Remix)
A cool remix of one of the best songs from 2009 that failed to make a Monthly Mix. (Mad Decent)

5) Clipse – Door Man
Yeah, the Clipse can rap their asses off. Nobody’s got more interesting and clever ways to talk about moving weight. And yes, they get the craziest bangers that the Neptunes can create. But let’s also give credit where credit is due: these guys consistently pump out the greatest hooks in hip-hop. “I put my money on the roof then crush this bitch.” (see also “Popular Demand”)

6) Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Rock
Fantastic flip of the Rob Base classic. (thanks, HHIR)

7) G-Side – Muffins
I finally got around to buying G-Side’s 2007 debut Sumthin 2 Hate. Speaking of great hooks: “N!99as smellin’ blueberry, thinkin’ that I’m cookin muffins / got that bubble kush for the low, come and spend somethin’.”

8) Fabolous (ft. Magno & Paul Cain) - Smokin n Sippin
The third verse is wasted on this Paul Cain dude, but fuck it. You’re listening for the CHOPS beat rather than the lyrics.

9) Souls of Mischief – For Real Y’all
Nice lyrical reworking of what’s possibly my favorite Roots song of all time (the lyrics of which are probably a reworking of some old school song I don’t know).

10) Animal Collective – On a Highway
I often refer to Animal Collective as the most overrated band this side of Grizzly Bear. And yet here we have an Animal Collective song benefiting from some great vocal melodies…the very thing that Grizzly Bear is best known for. Yet I like this song anyways. I think that’s what the kids these days refer to as “irony.”

11) Real Estate – Beach Comber
Speaking of overrated bands. Not that I don’t like these guys. The potential is there. But I think we should all heed the words of Winston Wolf and hold off on sucking each other’s posicles just yet.

12) Blakroc (ft. Mos Def) – On the Vista
I liked pretty much every song on Blakroc, but it has yet to really grab my attention. Definitely an album I need to spend more time with. But I’ve been on a Mos Def kick lately.

13) Cyhi da Prynce – Studder
Don’t let the name fool you. I thought this was going to be some prime Southern ignorance-rap. I was dead wrong. (props to Noz)

14) G Mane – Light Up
“Back on the block again / it’s like you’re listening to Biggie and Tupac again” — more like a poor man’s Scarface. But poor man’s Scarface just made my favorite album of the month (even though the first line of this song is breathtakingly terrible).

15) 14KT – My Heart & I
Yeah, 14KT’s clearly a Dilla disciple, but he’s an extremely talented Dilla disciple. I had to check into his stuff after he impressed opening for Mayer Hawthorne last month.

16) The Emotions – As Long As I’ve Got You
DJ O-Dub is Santa Claus for soul fans.

17) Courtney John – Lucky Man
Modern singer kicking it over old reggae tracks. I’d like to see someone like Bilal (or D’angelo!) steal this idea.

18) Lady Margo – This Is My Prayer
Wait a minute. If O-Dub is Santa, what does that make Numero? I’m terrible at analogies.

19) Freeway – Majestic
Goddammit. What other (probably obvious) hip-hop song uses this same sample?

20) G Mane (ft. PT & Pocahantaz) – Boyz in da Hood
As Cam’ron would say, “no Eazy E.”

21) G-Side (ft PT) – Aura
G-Side become the first rappers ever to brag about driving Saturns: “Oooh, my Aura, so many different colors.”

22) Adrian Younge – Chicago Wind
Black Dynamite is a comedy. But the soundtrack is no joke (ha!). I definitely hope to hear more from this Adrian Younge cat soon.

23) The King Khan & BBQ Show – Tryin’
I hate to complain about a group that I really like, but if they just added a real drummer, I’d like them a lot more.

24) Willie Rosario – Calypso Blues
“Don’t got the money, to take me back to Trinidad” Unfortunately, true for me, too. (another Mixtape Riot find)

See, my mayor is a billionaire, my neighbor just got laid off
My mayor cakin’ more this year, they trip off Bernie Madoff
Recession ain’t for everyone, BBC, out of touch,
out of reach, out of mind, arrested for shit, out of luck
blood on the bread line, where the fuck my bail out
they flying private jet, Capitol Hill with they hand out
Obama promised hope? But pssht, fuck that sucka shit
see I don’t need your pep talk, who you really represent
million dollar dreamin’ got me feelin’ second rate
Pinch me see I’m still awake, watch my pocket draw a blank
Got a letter from the bank, my account was overdrawn
What I had was worth less than the paper it’s printed on
Get some gettin’ ‘fore it’s gone, robbin’ Peter to pay Paul
They say it’d get better, but yet I’m colder than I was before
Naw, a bachelor’s ain’t shit anymore
my homie got a PhD and he can’t hardly find a job
It’s a prob

Another month with not-too-many albums that I really thought were good. Oh well. Thanksgiving > my desire to listen to even more new music. So November still wins.

Good albums this month included:

• Dam Funk – Toeachizown: If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve already heard a lot of this album. If you haven’t been paying attention, and you’re looking for music that makes you feel about 20x cooler when you’re walking around listening to it in your headphones, this is your shit right here.
• Lil’ Wayne – No Ceilings: This is the greatness that occurs when Weezy F. drops the guitar, (mostly) drops the Autotune, gets in the booth, and raps his ass off.
• Alton Ellis – Sunday Coming:   Part of my ongoing quest to expand my collection of 70s reggae artists who can actually sing.

On to this month’s mix. As always, let me know if there’s something you think I missed.

1) Damon – Don’t You Feel Me
Creepy psych-rock dug up by the good people at Now-Again.

2) The East St. Louis Gospelettes – Have Mercy On Me
You probably recognize this song from Raekwon’s “Have Mercy.” You probably downloaded it from Hip-Hop is Read.

3) Big Boi (ft. Gucci Mane) – Shine Blockas
Isn’t it about time Sir Luscious Left Foot dropped? This is easily my song of the month.

4) Buckshot (ft. Sean Price) – The Feeling
P!

5) Clipse (ft Cam’ron) – Popular Demand (Popeyes)

6) Jay Electronica – Exhibit C (radio rip)
I still maintain that Jay Elec is a vastly overrated rapper, but as long as he keeps deciding to rap over beats like this (well done, Mr. Blaze) then I’ll happily call myself a fan.

7) Lil’ Wayne (ft. Baby) – No Ceilings
“swagga just dumb, call it Sarah Palin” — Even weird little drug-addled aliens know that Sarah Palin is a dumbass.

8) Alton Ellis – Breaking Up is Hard to Do
As great of a singer as Alton Ellis is, it’s his background singers who do it for me on this one. I love that “aw-awwwww.”

9) Orchestre Poly Rythmo – Malin Kpon O
Who cares what the lyrics are when you’ve got a killer song like this.

10) Lil’ Wayne – Banned From TV
“smoke weed, talk shit like Lane Kiffin / whole country in a recession, but Wayne different.”

11) Max Minelli – Whateva-eva
A strong addition to my “stripclub anthems” playlist.

12) Young Dro – Start Trappin’ for Life
One of the best rappers in the South when he’s focused. Here, he’s focused.

13) The Very Best – Julia
Some rapper needs to jack this for his next mixtape.

14) Chauffeur – Soles of Fire
The first drop from Mark Ronson, Sam Sparro & Theophilus London.

15) Sean Price – Figure Four
“Peace…sincerely pyrex pot Sean / cook it cut it and spit it on nahright.com“

16) Guicci Mane – No No No
Sadly, not a Sister Nancy remake. One of those songs that’s so annoying (extra annoying-points courtesy of DJ Drama shouting all over the track), but such an ear-worm, that you’ll eventually grow to love it.

17) Wale (ft. Gucci Mane) – Pretty Girls
Another song that mostly made it on the mix for being ridiculously catchy rather than ridiculously good. For what it’s worth, I was pretty disappointed in Wale’s Attention:Deficit. It wasn’t so much bad (in a Kid Cudi kinda way) as just very mediocre (in a Blueprint 3 kinda way).

18) New Edition – Hide and Seek
While re-watching that old video of Baron Davis on rollerskates, I realized I didn’t have any New Edition. WTF?

19) Johnny Rivera and the Tequila Brass – Run Run Run
Tequila + brass + some crazy narrative about going home with a broad = awesome (courtesy of Soul Sides)

20) Alton Ellis – Joy in the Morning
Kind of reminds me of John Legend’s “Slow Dance.”

21) Thao with the Get Down Stay Down – Body
Interesting thought (maybe): why are guys less apt to be into songs sung from a woman’s point of view than women are to be into songs sung from a man’s point of view?

22) The Soft Pack – Answer to Yourself
Easily one of my favorite new bands in 2009. Proper debut dropping February 2!

Saw lots of amazing music this month (Treasure Island Festival, Mos Def performing Black on Both Sides), but don’t know that I listened to all that much great new stuff.  Basically, I was too blown away by the new Flaming Lips album to listen to much of anything else.

• Flaming Lips – Embryonic: A surprising, stark, but very welcome change for Oklahoma’s finest.  I never expected the bad who had been singing about “go tell Brittany, go tell Gwen,” on their last album would produce something so dark and weird.
• Girls – Album: Back in September, my mom told me that her friend’s son was in a band that she thought I might like called Girls.  One week later, they’re getting a 9.1 on Pitchfork.  Who knew my mom was such a tastemaker?
• Oh No – Dr. No’s Ethiopium: Another fantastic instrumental album from Oh No.  But it’s another reminder that he’s yet to drop a proper follow-up to 2004’s The Disrupt.  C’mon man.

As always, let me know if there’s anything I missed this month:

1) Direct Drive – Time’s Running Out
Disco’s not dead! (courtesy of Mixtape Riot)

2) Chromeo – I Can’t Tell You Why
Let’s turn the cheese up to 11 with this Eagles cover.

3) Girls – Hellhole Ratrace
7 minutes long. It could be 17 minutes long and I’d still be happy with it.

4) NOMO – Banners on High (live on Daytrotter)
I’m still pissed they decided to come to Chapel Hill the same night De La Soul was playing.

5) Girls – Darling
Seriously, Mom, can these dudes play my wedding?

6) Koushik – Beep 13
There’s a lot going on these 22 seconds.

7) Oh No – Melody Mix
C’mon, Oh No. You’re a good rapper! Kick something over this.

8) De La Soul – La La La
I hope these dudes do it for another 20 years. Because 20 years in, they’re doing the opposite of falling off.

9) Junior Murvin – Guitar
The Curtis Mayfield of Jamaica? I love the falsetto.

10) Adrian Younge – Shot Me in the Heart
From the original soundtrack to Black Dynamite. The movie might be a comedy, but this song is no joke (ha!). (from Steady Bloggin’)

11) Otis Redding – My Lover’s Prayer
I’m currently going through the process of trying to find a first dance song. I’m quickly realizing that all the best soul songs (like this one) are about heartbreak. (per Soul Summer)

12) Oh No – The Funk
I’d love to hear the original Ethiopian record he flipped for this.

13) Little Denice – Check Me Out
I love the switch-up at the 0:18 mark. (another Soul Sides sure-shot)

14) Jay-Z – PSA (Alex Goose Remix)
Imagine if Jay had beats like this on BP3!

15) M.O.P. (ft. Styles P) – Bang Time
Doing what they do best…making songs that make you want to break shit. (Unkut, of course)

16) Screwball (ft. Cormega) – What the Deal?
Some grimy NY street-rap to bring us into these cold, dark months. (Unkut wins again)

17) Koushik – Beep 20

18) Lil’ Boosie (ft. Mouse & Lil’ Phat) – Top Notch
The best song off the (sadly) disappointing SuperBad.

19) Frank Ski – Whores In This House (Doo Doo Brown Version)
Old school B’more club music via Cocaine Blunts. Extra points for going with “whores” instead of the infinitely more common “hoes.”

20) Poirier (ft. Face T) – Enemies
This song is either incredibly annoying, or incredibly awesome. I can’t decide.

21) Elucid – Yum Yum
Seriously has me fiendin’ for Sub-Bass Diet.

22) The Flaming Lips – Worm Mountain
I would have loved if they would have played this one at Treasure Island. I’m sure it sounds incredible live…

23) The Flaming Lips – Silver Trembling Hands
…although I’m thankful that I can verify that this one definitely sounds incredible live!

September kicked summer 09 out the door in fine style. One last celebration of summer in Trinidad trumped anything I did from June through August. Upon returning home, summer was gone. But I was ready. The weather (apart from the occassional rain) has been incredible. It was an all-around fantastic month. And here’s what I was listening to:

• Reigning Sound – Love and Curses: It’s 9 am, you just got to the tailgate. You’re fighting a hangover. You want to get things rolling, but it’s not yet rock-out with your cock-out time yet. Toss this one on.
• Various Artists – Eccentric Soul: Smart’s Palace: Is there no end to obscure regional and mostly-forgotten soul records? Numero Group dig up nothing but gems, once again.
• Jahdan Blakkamoore – Bazooka Shot Mixtape: If you’re looking for more dancehall in the Major Lazer-type vein (you might remember Jahdan from the fantastic “Cash Flow“), you should add this DJ/rupture & Matt Shadetek produced mixtape.
• Various Artists – Giraffostyle 09 – Huntsville Happening: Some dude from Norway(?) put together this fantastic compilation of stuff from the PRGz/Slow Motion Soundz camp.
• Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2: My thoughts on this album before it finally dropped: “Surely, this thing is never going to be released. I mean, Rae’s been talking about this album for a good three years now. Toss it in the pile with Detox….I’ll believe it when I see it. And even if it does come out, there’s no way it’s going to be any good. I mean, I heard Immobilarity, dammit.” Ooops.
• Freddie Gibbs – midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik: Unpretentious street-rap from a dude who can rap his ass off.
• Spider Bags – Goodbye Cruel World, Hello Crueler World: September is the month when you stop drinking tequila and start drinking whiskey. This is the album you listen to when you drink that whiskey.

As always, let me know if you think I missed anything:

1) Reigning Sound – If I Can’t Come Back
Reigning Sound at their most rocking-est.

2) No Age – You’re a Target
These dudes are one of the most overrated bands on Pitchfork. But if they plan on heading in this direction — less distortion, more accessible — then I can see myself getting down.

3) The Almighty Defenders – Cone of Light
Pitchfork shit all over their album (I haven’t heard it yet), but I like this little doo-wop number with BBQ on the vocals.

4) Chocolate Snow – Inflation
While it was probably written four decades ago, this could easily serve as the theme song for 2009.

5) The Paragons – Blackbirds Singing
Paragons singing > blackbirds singing (via Mixtape Riot)

6) Jahdan Blakkamoore (ft. 77 Klash) – Collie Fields
I shed a tear every time a collie field gets burned.

7) Bobby Creekwater – Business Man
Love myself throwback electro-sounding beats that knock. And Bobby’s a good enough rapper to make cold, sparse beats like this still sound dope.

8) 6 Tre Gangsta, S.T. & AC Burna – Feel the (Chris Brown)
The theme song to my fantasy football team, the (Chris) Browns. “I beat a bitch down / call me Chris Brown!” You gotta love that beat, too (heard on an interlude from the classic Starshipz & Rocketz). It sounds like someone accidentally set the renaissance fair in the hood.

9) Raekwon (ft. Ghostface) – Cold Outside
I’ve said before that gritty New York street rap is the new blues music. But I don’t think any traditional blues songs ever sounded this damn epic.

10) Young Buck – Bury Me Alive
As long as Buck stays angry and hungry like this, it’ll be 50’s career that’s buried long before Buck’s (via Cocaine Blunts).

11) Freddie Gibbs – Bussdown
Even when he’s hitting on broads, dude sounds like a menace.

12) Snoop Dogg – That’s the Homie
This almost makes up for that ridiculous reality show. (via Steady Bloggin)

13) Dam Funk – 10 West
Dude is on a roll. Damn near everything he drops makes it onto a Nordy mix.

14) Ninjasonik (ft. The Death Set, Hollywood Holt, Theophilus London & Cadence Weapon) – Negative ThinkingThis song has two big things going against it: it’s over 6 minutes long, and it features Cadence Weapon. Fuck it, it still bangs.

15) Donwill (ft. Elucid) – Barakaran
Elucid absolutely slays everything he touches. The Sub Bass Diet can’t get here soon enough.

16) Raekwon – Pyrex Vision
Ever wondered why the call him the Chef?

17) Red – I Should Tell Ya Momma On You (Dam Funk Remix)
Best song from a homeless beatboxer this year. Check out the video.

18) Reigning Sound – Something to Hold Onto
Dude’s like Craig Finn without the annoying voice.

19) Spider Bags – Trouble
The sound of self destruction.

20) The Love Language – Stars (Live on Daytrotter Session)
“Little girls tell the biggest lies” is one of those lyrics that you’ll always remember.

Bonus Track
Busy Signal – Up In Her Belly: It has been on my iPod for a while, so it’s not part of the September Mix…but this song was still everywhere in Trinidad (which was awesome).