Pure Funk Top 20 Albums of 2010 (10-6)

Every year the major online music sites count down what they think are the best albums and songs of the year.  Who's to say they're right?  I've been reading these lists for years now and figured it's about time to put my money where my mouth is and write my own damn list!

So all this week we'll be counting down our favourites, starting with numbers 20-16.  Feel free to comment and to suggest your own favourite music of this year.  My feeling about these lists is that at the end of the day they're just showcasing some good music you may have missed out on during the year.  So I hope you find something here that fits that description, and let me know if there's some awesome stuff that I need to catch up on.

DJ Bobz  purefunk.com.au

10. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

Two years ago, Canada’s Crystal Castles came out of the corner in a flurry of 8-bit punches, toying with the idea of what electronica could be and basically causing truckloads of trouble.  There were mixed expectations for their second, self-titled long player.  Was the whole video game aesthetic a worn-out gimmick, would we be sick of lead singer Alice Castle’s frequent hissy-fits?

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to Toronto.  The wall of static sound was still there, but along with it came dancefloor-leaning bass-lines and a more melodic sound.  Celestica was the lead single, and a great one at that, a classic even.  It set the template for the album.  One part haunted house tunes, one part shrieking vocals and you have a total of one banging tune.  

Vietnam, Baptism and Empathy all shared the same lineage, half scaring the pants off you and the other half too busy nodding it’s head to care.  Not in Love was so good that Robert Smith of the Cure jumped on a remix of it and made it even better.

The notion that Crystal Castles are an acquired taste used to have some value, but I dare say that anyone who still thinks that probably wasn’t born in the 80’s, and needs to re-evaluate their tastes.  This is a progressive work of an exciting band, one that doesn’t tailor its style for anyone, and that should be applauded.

9. Janelle Monae - The Arch Android

Who is Janelle Monae?  I bet she asks herself that question a lot.  On this album she's a sexy cyborg, a persona that many a pop princess has adopted throughout the years, usually without much success.  

That’s not the case with this album.  There’s so much going on here that you kind of forget that she is a robot.  There’s nimble Hip-Hop tracks, funk and folk extravaganza’s and beat poetry from Saul Williams and guess what?  Not one track sounds out of place.  You get the feeling that Monae is a fan of all of these styles and not just a genre-hopping hipster out for a quick nostalgic reference to boost her cred.


Cold War is a whirlwind fire starter, Tightrope Hip-Hop’s along at a breakneck pace, Wondaland is a beautiful peace of retro-pop and Make the bus is a psychedelic wonder.  Monae may act the android, but in real life she’s one of the most vital voices in music today.
 

8. Girl Talk - All Day

I was hesitant to listen to Greg Gillis’s latest opus, I have to admit.  Am I over the whole Top 40 mash-up concept?  Has the world moved on?  The answer to both is no, and even better, Gillis has refined his unique technique even further and made a party inducing mission statement.  He even seems more commercial than before, if that’s possible, with the samples even more recognizable and danceable than his previous efforts.


He leans more on 90's alternative rock and Southern Hip-Hop than other genre’s but that’s no knock as they both lend themselves beautifully to most of the mash-ups they find themselves in, such as when you find Twista nimbly rapping over the U2 classic With or Without You.  It should be sacrilege, but in the words of Homer Simpson, it’s Sacrilicious.  And pairing Imagine with the syrupy vocals of UGK hard nut Bun B shouldn’t work so well or feel so right.  


What sets Gillis apart from the millions of bedroom DJ’s around is that technique of his, the sample based construction that’s framed on algorithms borne out of Gillis’s former profession as a engineer. As yet no-one seems willing to try and match Gillis styles and he stands tall as the scion of the mash-up community.
 

The rest of us will just have to settle for losing our fricking minds.

Download the mixtape for free HERE

7. Vampire Weekend - Contra

Those preppy guys in the polo shirts and boat shoes were back, and they had some new sounds.  Contra felt more like an international travelogue than O-week at an Ivy League school.  The african influences were more overt, and Ezra Koenig’s lyrics were designed to reach a wider audience without losing the inclusiveness that makes them unique. 


What also made them one of a kind was their sense of fun.  Whether they were extolling the virtues of the humble holiday on Holiday or contemplating the life of a Diplomat’s Son, they sounded like they were having fun.  There was no better example of their humorous side than the video for Giving up the Gun, featuring a drunk Jake Gyllenhaal, and RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan as a net judge at a tennis match.  This was also their best track, a shining example of their willingness to stretch out of their comfort zone, easily keeping up with a beefed up rhythm section. 


Contra was an exciting second release for the four-piece, and the enduring freshness of its sound ensures that it will probably be sound-tracking parties this summer too.

 

6. Hot Chip - One Life Stand

The chippers have always deviated from the normal.  They’d kick out awesome tracks like Boy from School and Ready for the floor, only to baffle us with oddities like Bendable Poseable and Shake a Fist.  This is the album where they blended all their influences and delivered an LP full of affecting dance tunes.


I feel Better works so well as both a video clip and live staple, that it’s easy to forget that as a song, it’s just awesome as it is.  One Life Stand makes the idea of lifelong commitment look a hell of lot more appealing than it should, whilst Brothers is one of the few songs ever made that celebrates male bonding as a real emotional attachment and not just two dudes clanging beer cans together.  


Whilst the Chip’s consistency across this album made it easier to listen to all the way through, bringing the heart that they’ve always displayed prominently on their sleeves is what makes it a classic.

 

Pure Funk Top 20 Albums of 2010 (15-11)

Every year the major online music sites count down what they think are the best albums and songs of the year.  Who's to say they're right?  I've been reading these lists for years now and figured it's about time to put my money where my mouth is and write my own damn list!

So all this week we'll be counting down our favourites, starting with numbers 20-16.  Feel free to comment and to suggest your own favourite music of this year.  My feeling about these lists is that at the end of the day they're just showcasing some good music you may have missed out on during the year.  So I hope you find something here that fits that description, and let me know if there's some awesome stuff that I need to catch up on.

DJ Bobz  purefunk.com.au

15. Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool

Real life is, apparently, no cool.  Listening to this album I’m not so sure, as it sounds plenty cool from where I’m standing.  Lindstrom has taken his reputation as a DJ who appreciates crafting long techno jams and blown that out in favour of cocky disco swagger in the form of four minute gems.

Christabelle is an infrequent collaborator, but here she appears on every track, her breathy falsetto adding a sexual coyness that ices the R&B cake behind it.  From the strutting basslines of ‘LoveSick’ to the MJ aping ‘Baby Can’t Stop’ this is a heady mix of the best Disco, Pop and R&B this side of Lindstrom’s native homeland Sweden.



Real Life Is No Cool

14. Four Tet - There is love in you

Four Tet’s Kieren Hebden describes his albums as documents of ideas, chronicling his musical journey.  Since releasing his debut Rounds in 2003, the journey has seen him push dance in entirely unexpected directions.  This record is another one of those unexpected directions.

During the making of this record, Hebden took up residency in the very small yet very prestigious underground club Plastic People and went about designing music for the dancefloor.  The first song he made during this time was also the best, Love Cry, and its rambling techno influence spreads across the album.  

The other big influence is the clipped vocals, which recall dubstep perennial and good friend Burial.  Another favourite is Sing, it’s stilted basslines and xylaphone plonks rolling along like some organic data transfer.  And this is where Four Tet gets you, injecting the lifeless pulse of techno with an orgy of organic blips and bleeps designed to stimulate your synapses.  If you think I’m kidding, make sure to check out Pablo’s Heart - It’s Hebdens godsons actual heartbeat!



There Is Love in You

13. Gil Scott Heron - I’m New Here

Gil Scott Heron is not well known to Australians.  The American poet-musician is better known in his homeland, and better known to those who heard his firebrand poetry in his prime in the 70’s and 80’s.  Perhaps his best known composition is The Revolution will not be televised.

So how does a world weary, aging legend come to record one of 2009’s most vital records?  Richard Russell of Xl Recording has helped re-introduce Heron as a wise, gravel-voiced sage, dispensing heartfelt and honest stories over a variety of contemporary sounds.

It probably shouldn’t be so surprising that Heron’s vocal work mixes so well with the instrumentals.  The beats chosen reflect several generations of Beat Poetry, Soul, Hip-Hop, Bass and Blues, genre’s that all lend themselves to thoughts of struggle, poverty and oppression; situations Heron knows only too well.

New York is killing me provides a thrilling insight into the love/hate relationship Scott-Heron and his adopted hometown have shared for many years now, While Running sees him running from that which he cannot escape and toward that which he cannot have.  Coming from a broken home Part 1 and Part 2 bookend the album, and the two tracks provide a context for chaos and self-destruction described throughout the songs in between.

I'm New Here

12. Pantha du Prince - Black Noise

Pantha’s last album, This is Bliss, was exactly was its title suggested, a blissful, beautiful, living and breathing techno organism.  This album is no different.  The basslines are full, but not overbearing, and are ornated by an orchestra of carefully arranged instruments, a shimmering coat on a pulsing body of work.

And Pantha’s albums are just that, a body of work, and are meant to be heard as whole.  Similar in concept to the work of Four Tet, Pantha du Prince comes off as more welcoming, worn in and comfortable.  His music is like that VIP section that you can never get in to.  All the chairs look like they would be comfortable, the velvet rope and the silk drapes make you feel like royalty.

I could pick favourite tracks, but then they’re all really pretty awesome, so it think its better to let you guys go ahead and decide.



Black Noise

11. Delorean - Subiza

The Spanish four-piece burst out of a coastal cul-de-sac at the base of the basque mountains, their sun-kissed grooves exuding an exuberance that was part chillwave, part Andrew W.K.  They were having fun in the sun and wanted us to be a part of it.

More enthusiastic than the rest of lo-fi sun-loving class of 2010 (Washed Out, Best Coast, Neon Indian), and displaying musical chops that pitched somewhere between Euro House and Indie Pop, Delorean showed that Spain had more to offer than just Ibiza and Pao Gasol.

The two opening tracks are the best, but that’s because they set the template for the rest of the album.  Stay Close and Real Love bounce around like giddy schoolgirls, west coast coolers in hand and not a care in the world.  The rest of the album plays out like the best party you never attended, aching lyrics about longing and being together matched against the happiest instrumentals of the year.  My christmas wish is that all your summers be like a Delorean song.





Subiza

Pure Funk Top 20 Albums of 2010 (20-16)

Every year the major online music sites count down what they think are the best albums and songs of the year.  Who's to say they're right?  I've been reading these lists for years now and figured it's about time to put my money where my mouth is and write my own damn list!

So all this week we'll be counting down our favourites, starting with numbers 20-16.  Feel free to comment and to suggest your own favourite music of this year.  My feeling about these lists is that at the end of the day they're just showcasing some good music you may have missed out on during the year.  So I hope you find something here that fits that description, and let me know if there's some awesome stuff that I need to catch up on.

DJ Bobz  purefunk.com.au

16. Drake - Thank Me Later

Drake’s album dropped under a lot of pressure.  The graduate of Degrassi: The Next Gen came out of nowhere to drop some emo inspired monotone verses on his mixtape So Far Gone and the next thing you know he’s courted by Jay-Z and Lil Wayne.  Weezy won out and Thank Me Later finally dropped on the Young Money label at the top of 2010.

Backed by IDM influenced instrumentals, Drake dropped some emotionally raw verses that owed much to Kanye West’s genre busting breakdown 808’s and Heartbreaks.  Was it R&B, was it Hip Hop?  Was it neither?  It didn’t matter as fans (especially the ladies) drooled over not only his poo-eating grin, but also his luscious tracks with the likes of Alicia Keys (Fireworks) and Swizz Beatz (Fancy).

Karaoke and Resistance asked if the lure of fame was really worth it, but it was when Drake  got all loverman with The-Dream on Shut it Down that we really knew he had the R&B game on lock.  Fear of making it big was a recurring theme on the album, leaving Drake feeling nostalgic for the regular life he only recently departed.  Which makes you wonder where he goes from here?  He may eventually succumb to the lazy trappings of the R&B grind, but for now he’s in a league of his own.

Download So Far Gone Mixtape HERE

Drake - Over                              
Drake - Shut it Down

17. Lupe Fiasco - Enemy of the State

Listen to the music below.  It speaks for itself.

Download the Mixtape HERE

Lupe Fiasco - Turnt Up

18. Caribou - Swim

It takes some sort of mathematician to construct the kind of giddy algorithms that frame Daniel ‘Caribou’ Snaith’s songs.  Lucky then that he is the son of university maths professor.  However, if you’re thinking that his music is some sort of nerdy classical monstrosity only enjoyed by those with Mensa credentials, your couldn’t be more wrong.

Trading in what was once known as IDM (Intelligence Dance Music), it’s easier just to call it dance music.  Although not as accessible as his earlier releases (which alternately sounded like electronic folk music and shoegaze), Swim is just as rewarding, and on repeat listens, even more so.  The intricacies reveal themselves slowly, and what at first seems oddly placed becomes key.

Wild saxaphone solo’s, bleeding synth’s, nimbly picked guitar and clattering drums are all part of the purpose built sound.  The vocals come and go, eerily pitching themselves above the music, detached in a way that evokes the loneliness of a break-up, a divorce or of just being plain by yourself.  The organic, pulsing beats below make the loneliness feel like a warm sweater on a cold day, making the juxtaposition of the two opposing poles seem like a match made in heaven.

Caribou - Odessa
 

19. A-Trak - Dirty South Dance 2

I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, but if I did, then this would probably be it for twenty ten.  Since winning the DMC world DJ championships at the age of 15 and every DJing award imaginable, A-Trak has carved out an enviable career.  Working with Kanye West, starting his own label (Fool’s Gold) and then crafting the addictive Barbara Streisand with Armand Van Helden (as Duck Sauce), it seems there is little left for him to accomplish.

Luckily for us A-Trak found the inspiration (and time) to put together the second installment in his Dirty South Dance series.  The concept is simple - Dirty South acapella’s grafted on to some of the silkiest beats of the year.  

It works for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the sing-song flow of southern rap heavyweights like Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane is a perfect match for the melodic dance instrumentals.  Secondly, A-Trak hasn’t just sampled a bunch of house hits for his backing tracks.  He’s has a ear for tunes, and his selections seem well researched.  When you add in his talents behind the technic turntables, you have an irresistible concoction.  There’s no point in me breaking down the nuance’s of each song for you.  You’re better off just listening to the damn thing yourself, because sometimes when something just feels right, you just do it.

Download the Mixtape HERE

A-Trak - Trizzy Turnt Up
 

 

20. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Upon hearing the name The Suburbs I mistakenly thought the Arcade Fire were doing away with colossal statements.  Surely they couldn’t muster the same intensity and wealth of idea’s that fuelled their two previous opus’s Funeral and Neon Bible.  Yet here we are.

The albums opens with The Suburbs, and if feels like we’ve just dropped in ‘Marty McFly’ style into a suburban backyard, recalling sunny summers, bbq’s and the dad’s old Holden cruising the block.  It’s a great ruse, lulling us into a lo-fi daze before ripping us back into reality with the charged Ready to Start, where lead singer Win Butler wistfully recalls the glory days before he apparently sold out.  

Where Funeral saw the kids digging tunnels to escape the Suburban malaise, The Suburbs seems to be drawing inspiration from those that were left behind, doomed to forever pick up the sunday paper off the front lawn and tend to the garden.

The Bruce Springsteen influence comes up a lot when talking about the Arcade Fire, and again on this record the comparison is apt.  Month of May is as ragged and unpolished as the best Boss barn-burners, but there’s more to this album than E-Street riffs.  Album closer The Sprawl II feels like MGMT covering The Knife and signals yet another glorious departure for the band, just another highlight in an already classic career and a perfect ending to a near perfect album.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs



Arcade Fire - Ready to Start

 

Honourable mention: Guido - Anidea, Gorillaz - Plastic Beach, Chemical Brothers - Further, The Roots - How I got Over, Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part 2, Gonjasufi - A Sufi and a Killer, Flying Lotus  - Cosmogramma

Video: Dr Dre feat. Snoop Dogg and Akon - Kush

Dr Dre has probably the most distinguished track record in Hip Hop, and he releases music so infrequently that you wonder if he actually makes music anymore.  Well, a couple of weeks ago Dre dropped a little christmas gift on us all in the form of 'Kush', a solid track that pays homage to Dre and Snoops favourite herb.

While the song itself doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights of 'Nuttin but a G Thing' and 'Still Dre', it still great to here Dre back doing what he does best. 

Then we have this video.  It's epic in so many ways.  I'll let you watch and see what you think, but one thing is for sure, the GFC doesn't seem to have hit Dre too hard.  This is some expensive video.

News: Beastie Boys create sequel to 'Fight for your right to Party' video

Take a look at the photo above.  At first glance you're thinking 'Hey, that's the Beastie Boys circa 1986', but look closer.  It's actually Seth Rogen, Elijah Wood and Danny Mcbride playing the Beastie Boys.  Why?

Well, anyone that has seen the original clip for the classic 'Fight for your right to party', knows that several key questions are left unanswered at the end of the video.  We never find out what happened when the pie fight ended, the Beasties left the party, and the nerds' parents returned home, right?

The short film is debuting at Sundance and also features Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Jack Black.
Here's the original vid to refresh your memory

Download: B.O.B. - No Genre (FREE Mixtape)

Before B.O.B. was winning Grammy's and touring with Paramore, he was just another southern rapper grinding out stellar mixtapes to local acclaim.  To show he hasn't forgotten his roots, he returns to the mixtape game with another stellar (and free) release.

Download the mixtape for free HERE

This is the clip for Watchers, one of the tracks off the tape

Stream: Bangs And Works, Vol. 1: A Chicago Footwork Compilation

Footwork is a cultural movement based around dancing and music that's practiced by hundreds in its birthplace Chicago.

Click HERE to find out more about the genre and hear a pretty definitive compilation of some of the formative Footwork tunes.

Video: Big Boi - The Train Pt.2 & Clipse - Life Change

Two slightly older tracks with (sort of) new clips.  The Big Boi track is off his stellar album from earlier this year Sir Luscious Leftfoot, but the video was shot last year when Big put together a ballet based on Outkast's music, and it was good! 

The Clipse clip is a song off their 2009 album Til the casket drops, which is a year old now.  They must've liked the track.  Interesting time to release a video, what with no new material on the horizon and Pusha T blowing up solo style all over Kanye's album.


The Train, Pt. 2 (Sir Lucious Saves the Day) from Big Boi on Vimeo.



 

Video: Baby Boogaloo the 5 year old breaker!

Plus, check this little dude out, Jalen aka J-Styles!

Video: Ke$ha - We R who we R

Ke$ha has a new clip, which I'm pretty sure is sponsored by Revolucien Vodka and plentyoffish.com.  Don't ask me how I know, I must be psychic. 

Video: Highlights from B-Boy Battle of the Year, France 23rd Nov 2010

Prepare to have your collective minds blown apart.  The B-Boy battle of the year for 2010 was held in France last week and here are some of the mind-blowing highlights. 

Video: Robyn - Live @ Myspace secret show in London

If you didn't already know, Robyn had to cancel her Australian tour due to 'scheduling conflicts', which left many us devoed.  Pure Funk is here to save the day though!  Myspace taped a secret hour-long Robyn set in London recently and have kindly posted it online!  Tell Tom I said thanks!


Myspace Secret Show with Robyn

Myspace Secret Shows UK | Myspace Video