Mosh Pit Music



BEST ALBUMS:
1. Enter Shikari - “Common Dreads” (Ambush Reality/Warner Music)
Honestly I didn’t think these scrappy Brits could top 2007’s “Take to The Skies,” but they went and proved me wrong. When “Solidarity” erupts in all its chugging, bleeping glory and Rou Reynold’s beloved inhale scream is brought to bear it is positively scary. They keep that up for 15 tracks while managing to graft in some genius musical ideas. Bloody brilliant.

2. Whole Wheat Bread – “Hearts of Hoodlums” (Fighting)
Unbelievably catchy while brandishing an abrasive punk edge, tracks like “Catch 22” and “Every Man For Himself” rage and sparkle. Then add a dash of hip hop and a heaping spoonful of attitude and you get crunked out rockers like “Throw Your Sets Up” and “Stuck in Da Dark.” Put it all together and you get the best pop-punk record since Motion City dropped “Commit This To Memory.”

3. Owl City - “Ocean Eyes” (Universal)
I was stoked when The Postal Service came out with a new record! Only it was made by some kid from Minnesota named Adam Young who calls himself Owl City and is chock-full of strange under-the-sea imagery. But I’ve waited six years and it’s good so I don’t care.

4. Paramore - “Brand New Eyes” (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)
Fact: every song on this album is about No Doubt-esque inter-band drama, but once I got over that I realized that this is one heck of a rock album. Sure, there are a few clunkers on there, but when Hayley Williams and the Farro bros lock in the result is raging girl power rock ‘n’ roll bliss.

5. Norah Jones - “The Fall” (Blue Note)
Norah Jones lost a bass player boyfriend and reinvented herself a little on this one. I was very apprehensive because I love Norah Jones the way she is and I have loved her past three releases dearly. To my relief, this change is good. Less jazz/folk, but still awesomely Norah. If you don’t believe me, just listen to “Chasing Pirates.”

6. Sean Kingston - “Tomorrow” (Epic)
Shut up. You and your skinny jeans need to stop pretending you don’t like “Fire Burning.” And stop pretending that it wasn’t that catchiest pop song of the year, outstripping all of its sub-par, brain dead pop peers (see below). Stop lying to yourself and face facts: this chubby Jamaican kid can SING.

7. A Day To Remember - “Homesick” (Victory)
For music fans who like a little melody mixed in with their mosh pit, “Homesick” is what you might call hardcore “lite.” It has all the brutal breakdowns with only half the screaming! There are a lot of bands these days trying to do the melodic hardcore thing but ADTR is hands down the band that does it best.

8. Lights - “The Listening” (Sire)
Lights is a diamond in the rough, an oasis in a barren landscape of mindless girl-dance-pop that – for lack of a better word – sucks. Not only does this Canadian pop starlet not suck, she excels and creates pretty songs with cool textures and sidesteps all the cliches.

9. There For Tomorrow - “A Little Faster” (Hopeless)
This album is a skillful exercise in contrast: raging guitars plus super-melodic vocals. And these guys just write really really REALLY good songs.

10: Jay Z - “The Blueprint 3” (Roc Nation)
What endeared me to this album was the first single “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune).” I have been sick of auto-tune for a good long while, and I’m glad Jay-Z finally said something. Plus all the other songs are cool. Plus collaborations with Rihanna, Kanye and Alicia Keys make me happy.

Also, see the the Worst of 2009.

Music industry website debut turns into a mosh pit

IT News

Q. Are we crocked, then? A. We are Vevo!
The debut of major record label-owned music site Vevo went awry this week after the site struggled to cope with demand.…The power of collaboration within unified communications

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administrator @ December 10, 2009