[Insert witty intro paragraph about buying the following albums as Christmas gifts HERE]
Let’s go in…
1 – Boys Noize – Power. Sometimes, you just need some wild, trippy, hard-ass Electronic music in your life.
Boys Noize is all of those things—and he is all of those things a little bit harder than almost everyone else.
In the two months since its release date, this album has already heavily infiltrated my daily soundtrack and DJ set lists. Seriously, get this album. Just, be sure to steer clear of the song “Jeffer,” because it will have you gyrating like Elaine on Seinfeld (“…It’s more like a full-body dry heave set to music.”).
Boys Noize – Jeffer (Original Mix)
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2 – The Cool Kids – Gone Fishin’ (Mixtape). Look, I know I’m breaking the rules a bit on this one (because a mixtape is not technically an official album) but I just had to do it.
First, this is my favorite Hip-Hop group in the world right now.
Second, this “mixtape” is more like an official album; given that nearly every song is original lyrics over original production (save for maybe “The Art of Noise” beat).
Tertiary, these crazy bastards gave this bitch away for free on their website because they’ve got it like that.
Oh yeah, and the sh*t is super hot.
Raps about Air Jordans, BMX Bicycles and buying cold peach teas from the corner store have never sounded this hot.
The Cool Kids – Jump Rope (Feat. Tennille)
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3 – Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement. I said most of my peace about Mayer Hawthorne when I wrote this article back when his album was released.
Mayer Hawthorne is so impressive to me on so many levels. At one point in time or another, we all have delusions of recreating the “Motown sound,” but this guy actually did it…extremely well. I had to put this album in my Top 5 because it is incredible, and also because it is so sonically different than nearly everything else out right now. It feels like Mayer Hawthorne and Raphael Saadiq are alone in their own genre-and that just seems cool to me.
Why they left my favorite MH song “When I Said Goodbye” off the album, I do NOT know. Luckily, some of us bought the heart-shaped vinyl single of “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” and got the Stones Throw music sampler that came with it (which includes “When I Said Goodbye”). I would post it, but the lovely people at the label have told us nicely that they do not wish for us to share any more Mayer Hawthorne freebies on The Muffin. The best way I can think to make everyone happy is to tell you all to go buy this album. You need this music.
4 – Calvin Harris – Ready For The Weekend. I first heard Calvin Harris while I was peeping DJ Cool Hand Lex’s ”45 Degrees 1st Anniversary Mix” over at Circle City Mixshow (Indianapolis, STAND UP!). This is a killer mix all the way through, but as soon as Calvin Harris’ “I’m Not Alone” song came through the mix I stopped dusting my television and started staring strangely at my speakers. I was mesmerized by the song. It has that huge, airy, Euro-Trash synth line that I love (and am unable to re-create at home in Pro Tools). Moreover, you know a song is a monster when Tiesto, Deadmau5 and Herve (AKA “The Count” AKA “The Count of Monte Cristal”) all get in line to remix the joint.
After falling deeply and madly for his second album’s first single, I gave Calvin Harris a tender, yet thorough cyber-stalking. I was pleased with what I found. Of course, I had to wait two more months for the album to officially drop (I love .WAV files), but when it did I was totally jazzed.
More and more I am just loving the hell out of Dance music-and this album is loaded with it. Keep it coming damn it (…exasperated expression…).
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5 – LMFAO – Party Rock. I know, I know, just hear me out. This group is about as annoyingly mainstream as it gets, but the fact of the matter is these guys put out FIVE hot singles this year and you:
1 – secretly bought them all on iTunes.
2 – not-so-secretly turned your iTunes purchases into LMFAO ringtones.
3 – shook your ass to each and every LMFAO song every time you heard them while you were out this year (and once slightly twisted your ankle).
4– subconsciously have their album in YOUR “Top 5 of 2009” too.
Yes, we heard “I’m In Miami, Bitch” way too many times, that’ll happen (especially if you’re a DJ and it got mailed to you nine months before it hit radio…ughhhhh). Yes, “La La La” and “Shots” have been played so much that everyone hates them now too. That’s three incredibly successful commercial hits right there. Then, you’ve still got “Yes” and “Scream My Name” on the album…and that’s WITHOUT mentioning my favorite song of theirs, “I Am Not A Whore.”
[SIDEBAR: I suppose by this same “uber-commercial success” logic that the Black Eyed Peas would also be in my Top 5, but that shit is not E-V-E-R going to happen. If this makes me a hypocrite, I am completely fine with it.]
As if their album was not success enough, LMFAO pumped out tons of remixes for other artists this year that totally crushed the hearts of the other remixers that submitted for the same songs (just ask any of the producers that remixed Shwayze’s “Get U Home”).
Every night dancefloors nationwide blow up, and when that happens, chances are high that these dudes are setting the tempo.
Respect due.
(And here is a little treat from way back that is NOT on LMFAO’s album, but is also hot to def.
LMFAO – The Girl Can’t Help It
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So that’s it.
I realize that I left Hova, Kid Sister and Phoenix off the list, but it was “Top 5,” not “Top 8.”
F-ck it, next year I’m doing “The Todd’s Top 19 Albums of 2010.”
And to all a good night, bitches.
Haha good shit man
How in the balls did I leave off Drake’s “So Far Gone” Mixtape?
Dom it.
These “Best Of” lists drive me insane.
Drake, I was bumpin’ your songs when nobody else played it (“Replacement Girl”).
NH.