Top albums of 2011

I really didn't pick up too much music in 2011 but these few albums really stood out for me.

1. Twin Shadow-Forget- He looks like Prince and sounds like early Depeche Mode with touch of The Cure. This album has the same feel of any dark new wave album of the early 80's. It can be a little " dancey" on some tracks and a tad romantic on others. This is one album that is in constant loop.
Top tracks-
Slow
At My Heels
Castles in the Snow

2.Beastie Boys-Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2- I'm a huge fan of the Beastie Boys I was really excited for this release and it did not disappoint. This was one of the few times the Beastie Boys had a few guest artist such as Nas and Santigold. This album had a party feel it reminds me of my favorite Beastie Boys' album Check Your Head but with a heavier hip hop sound. You've most likely seen the Fight for Your Right( revised version) with various celebrities I have to admit I'm not a fan of it but I am a fan of this album.
Top tracks-
Nonstop Disco Powerpack
Say It
Don't Play No Game I Can't Win (Featuring Santigold)
Make Some Noise this was on a single not the album it's pretty amazing it should been on the album.
3. Jay-Z and Kayne West- Watch The Throne
Say what you will about Mr. West he is an amazing showman and rapper with his antics aside.Jay-Z has always been in a class of his own.This album also introduced me to R&B singer Frank Ocean which I was surprised to like. The mixture of these two rap heavywieghts gives us a rap collaboration that will be hard to match for years.
Top tracks-
Otis
No Church in the Wild
Made in America

4.Wild Flag-Wild Flag
It seems real easy to call a group of this magnitude a supergroup but honestly it's not because supergroups are long gone it seems more like a missing Slits album. With Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weis and Mary Timony, of Sleater-Kinney along with of Quasi and Sleater-Kinney plus Rebecca Cole of the Minders. These"indie" ( I hate that word) queens put together an album that gives the boys a run for the hills.Oh, watch Portlandia on IFC it stars a very funny Carrie Brownstein and SNL member Fred Armisen.
Top tracks-
Romance
Endless Talk
Future Crimes

5. T.V.on the Radio- Nine Types of Light
TVOR had a rough 2011 after the death of their basist Gerard Smith's death from a battle with lung cancer. They still were able to pu out their fourth album. This album is an expansion for this Brooklyn based band which I like it shows the band will continue to grow.The album still had the classic sound you would expect.The album is funky,mellow, and yes dancey. I would like to think this album best reflects how far the band has come. It's bittersweet but strong album.There is a documentary on the band and the making of the album called Nine Types of Light give it watch if your unfamiliar with the band you can find it on the Youtube.
Top Tracks-
Will Do
New Cannonball Blues
Second Song

Honorable Mentions
Adele-21
Radiohead- King of Limbs
R.E.M- Collapse Into Now
Wye Oak- Civillian
Twerps- Twerps
That's pretty much it. As I said before I didn't pick up too much. I'm hoping 2012 will be a bigger music year for me. What stood out for you in 2011 or what are looking forward to?

Wanna know a secret?

There are times obscure amazing bands and artist goes ignored, underappreciated, and over shadowed by tacky, trendy, and unoriginal music that is found on the radio, Mtv and the biggest problem American Idol! These are bands that influence the people that the people today are ripping off. Those bands that are ignored are actually some of my favorite bands and artists.




Gang of Four: Hailing from Leeds Gang of Four made some of the best post punk music in its early stages. What makes Gang of Four stand out is that they blended political theories, culture and status issues effecting England at the time, and love. They were able to do all this with a tight “grooving” sound that can make you either pump your fist in the air with rage or get on the dance floor. Gang of Four was influenced and at the same time influenced generations of music that I have grown to love.I’ve seen Gang of Four twice and after 28 years they conveyed the same rage, confusion, passion, “groove”,and loss of identity of any band now or of it’stime.
Album of choice: Entertainment!






Os Mutantes: Pretty much unknown in the U.S. but, wildly popular in their native country of Brazil. Os Mutantes or “You Mutants” in English were one of the most dynamic, radical, and smart bands of both the psychedelic rock and Brazilian pop.quite an accomplishment during a period when most every rock band spent quality time exploring the outer limits of pop music. A trio of brash musical experimentalists, the group fiddled with distortion, feedback, musique concrète, and studio tricks of all kinds to create a lighthearted, playful version of extreme Brazilian pop. Although,they sang only in Portuguese you are able to understand the universal language of good music. Os Mutantes went outside the realms of psychedelic rock and Brazilian pop with amazing guitar work and complex sounds to make their own version of music that really hasn’t been matched.
Album of choice: Everything is possible





Monks: One of the strangest stories in rock history, the Monks were formed in the early '60s by American G.I.s stationed in Germany. After their discharge, the group stayed on in Germany as the Torquays, a fairly standard beat band. After changing their name to the Monks in the mid-'60s, they also changed their music, attitude, and appearance radically. Gone were standard oldie covers, replaced by furious, minimalist original material that anticipated the blunt, harsh commentary of the punk era. Their insistent rhythms recalled martial beats and polkas as much as garage rock, and the weirdness quotient was heightened by electric banjo, berserk organ runs, and occasional bursts of feedback guitar. To prove that they meant business, the Monks shaved the top of their heads and performed their songs — crude diatribes about the Vietnam war, dehumanized society, and love/hate affairs with girls — in actual monks' clothing. The Monks only gained a cult following among collectors, and has ironically made them much more popular and influential on an international level than they were during their lifetime.
Album of choice:Black Monk Time




Ester Drang: One of my favorite bands coming out of Broken Arrow Oklahoma. I saw then open for another band about 7 years ago and blew me away Ester Drang have composed a sweet daydream trip since their 1995 formation. The best way to describe their sound is, if Brian Eno was in My Bloody Valentine and played “space rock and “shoe gaze (that’s a good thing).The lyric work shows these boys have grown up in a faith based way but, they tackle love, depression in a non over bearing patronizing way .I’ve seen Ester Drang around 4 times and each show had a inviting warmth to it. I have all their albums and each one together they derived a lush, bittersweet sound. I’ve also met chatted with the members over a beer after a show in Baltimore and theses guys wear their hearts on their sleeves. They were real and approachable. The drummer actually remembered me from another show where I recommended some obscure hip-hop to him! In a way I’m glad they are so under the radar because it keep them from becoming and sounding phony and fabricated like most bands today.
Album of choice: Infinite Keys

Now, any developed music scholar would have heard of at least one or two of these bands. What I like about these amazing bands obscurity is that it makes them seem like they are the best kept secret to me and other music scholars that we hold on to a appercaite more because we took the extra effort did our homework, went to shows , and most importantly did not settle for whatever is out there. My advice to you is to look deeper and find your little secret!
Manny

The Gospel of Mixtapes According to Manny

I’ve been making mixtapes for myself and others and Mixtapes are important part of the music snob/hipsters culture. Mixtapes can be for friends or a secret crush they also allow you to introduce someone to new and better music. Mixtapes have gotten me through some good and bad times a good one will do that. Now when I make a mixtape modestly speaking I make a good one nix that, I make an awesome one! I’ve gotten better with each mixtape. Unfortunately I haven’t received as many good ones as I’ve given. There are a lot of rules when making a good mixtape here are the top 11:
1.It should be good. Time, thought, effort, and most importantly good music should be put into each mixtape.
2.It should if possible be on a cassette. That’s not a hard rule but, traditionally mixtapes are on cassettes for that music snob/hipster that I know it’s much easier to slap some songs from iTunes on a cd Rather than using your tape deck, cds, and records I obviously prefer cassettes. Lately I’ve had to do them on cds which is okay for now.
3.Start with a really great track something really catchy, jumpy, fast, or upbeat. You want to grab the listener’s attention and set the tone of the mixtape. This is not debatable option.
4.Keep it diverse try to have different genres if you stick to one or two genres you can loose your listener. I like to keep my mixtapes the way I like my lifestyle diverse. I try to put anything from “indie” rock, hip-hop, soul, pysch, garage, ye-ye pop, some obscure stuff, and my personal favorite French pop.
5.Don’t out obscure your listener you don’t want to scare them off. I’m guilty of this but; if that Zappa track is so awesome you got to share it then do it!
6.Don’t put something on the mixtape you know the listener will hate to be funny or cute and avoid too ironic tracks you again can loose your listener and it’s tacky. Irony and goofiness belong on birthday cards!
7.Try to keep the flow going smoothly not a bunch of fast tracks in a row a slow track clumped together. I like to have it flow like a movie soundtrack or something.
8.Neatness doesn’t count. If your using a cassette the “blurps”and”blops” makes the tape seem more heart felt in a way.
9.Return the favor and feedback are a must. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been burned on making mixtapes for someone with nothing in return
10.If you uncertain of a track don’t put it on there you’ll ruin the mixtape. This is like rule 6.
11.Make them good and have fun.These aren’t hard rules just mine so have fun!

Manny and music sittining in a tree!

If you know me you know that I LOVE music and not just anything I’m really particular about what I listen to I don’t settle for just anything I really do my homework to find some quality stuff. Some would call me a music snob or a pretentious music snob, which is not far from the truth. I just know what know what I like. So now your wondering what does Manny listen to I have a diverse taste that goes anywhere from Herbie Hancock to the Beastie Boys to the Flaming Lips and so on. But, my top 3
Picks would have to be:




1 .The Talking Heads: The unorthodox post punk art rockers from NYC make the top of my list. At the start of their career, Talking Heads were all nervous energy, detached emotion, and subdued minimalism. When they released their last album about 12 years later, the band had recorded everything from art-funk to polyrhythmic world beat explorations and simple, melodic guitar pop. Between their first album in 1977 and their last in 1988, Talking Heads became one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, while managing to earn several pop hits. While some of their music can seem too self-consciously experimental, clever, and intellectual for its own good, at their best Talking Heads represent everything good about art-school punks.
Top records:
1. Talking Heads:77 (1977)
2. Speaking in Tongues (1983)
3. Little Creatures (1985)*






2. De la Soul: De la Soul could best is described as “neo- psychedelic” hip hop. They came on the seen in the late 90’s or the “golden age” of hip-hop before tacky bling and phony gangster rap swept the suburbs. Coming from Long Island, NY these guys were miles ahead of others with their low key, clever rhymes and goofy humor made records that to this day sound like no others much like The Talking Heads Del a Soul were/are unorthodox. They did not reach too much top 40 successes in the mainstream hip-hop world. But, they still have a strong a loyal fan base that prefers the witty rhymes over the tacky ones.
Top records:
1. 3 Feet High and Rising(1989)*
2. De la Soul is Dead(1991)
3. Stakes is High(1996)





3. Thelonious Monk: The most important jazz musicians are the ones who are successful in creating their own original world of music with its own rules, logic, and surprises. Thelonious Monk, who was criticized by observers who failed to listen to his music on its own terms, suffered through a decade of neglect before he was suddenly acclaimed as a genius; his music had not changed one bit in the interim. In fact, one of the more remarkable aspects of Monk's music was that it was fully formed by 1947 and he saw no need to alter his playing or compositional style in the slightest during the next 25 years.

Top records:
1. Brilliant Corners (1956)
2. Straight no Casher (1966)
3. Underground (1967)*

These three groups have a few things in common 1. They are all awesome 2.They found success not following the crowd and not just settleing and having eyes of faith to move on to bigger things.3. They are all considered unorthodox their genre of music. I’m like that in away I just don't want to settle for the average way of living just like these three artist did not settle. I want to do unothordox things as well!* Favorite Record

Let's get this party started!

I had a blog about 5 years ago I mostly talked music and stuff nothing ever to serious or grammatically correct. I want to do the same thing this time but, more effort and less grammar errors. For this first one I just wanted to take it light and easy. I’ll get to seat squirming,tear jerking,and mind blowing stuff later.

Well, since I love music and people ask me for recommendations quite often and since it’s halfway through the year. I would make a list of the best albums so far this year according to me
1. Santogold-Santogold- A black chick from Brooklyn that has a nice mix of “indie pop/alternative and soul-like”. She makes a point in saying she is not R&B look for her remixes with Switch, A.C., and Spankrock.Top tracks- 1.L.E.S. Artistes, 2.Creator
2. MGMT-Oracular Spectacular- Proto-electro punk art noise rockers from Brooklyn but ultimately pop. Top tracks-1.Electric Feel, 2.Time to Pretend
3. Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend- These "preppie indie rockers" from NYC received a lot of positive ink for an album that has a blend of “indie rock’ and African-like vibe think late Talking Heads. Very catchy and addictive.Top tracks 1.A-Punk, 2.Mansard Roof
4. ManMan- Rabbit Habit- Philly’s noise clompers that sounds like if Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart formed a mega band of nonsensical lyrics and clommpy sounds. Top tracks1. Top Drawer, 2.Engris Bwudd
5. R.E.M.-Accleralte- Newest Album from Athens college rockers. That continues to keep their classic sound on this new album. The guys do not disappoint on this album with Stipes always clever lyric work. Top tracks 1.Supernautralsuperserious, 2.I’m gonna dj
6. Timemachine- Life is Expensive- L.A. indie hip hopers that bring us smart hip hop that has this new black and white duo of hipsters that has a highly anticipated album that does not fail. Top tracks 1.Something We're Becoming,2.The Groove That Just wont Stop.
7. Coolkids-Bake Sale-This pair of young blippsters (black hipsters like me) give us a hip-hop album that harkens back to the golden age of hip-hop with..I really like these guys they have a authenticity that Lupe Fiasco will never have . They bring this new trend of urban bmxers and skaters that I’m love with.Top tracks 1.88, 2.Gold and a Pager.

I know some of you may not be too familiar with the music listed here. But, I assure you its all quality stuff. In the future I will try to bring you post that will inform, entertain, encourage, and mostly allow you to get gnarly! Feel free to leave comments from time to time and call me out if necessary. Please fell free to tell others about my blog.

Be Rad,
Manny