… Requires at least three great songs to qualify … BEST ALBUMS OF 2010 ALMOST ALICE (3-2-2010). Especially “Follow Me Down,” (30H3!) “The Technicolor Phase” (Owl City) and “Alice” (Avril Lavigne) “The Poison” (The All American Rejects) and “White Rabbit” (Grace Potter and The Nocturnals). A spunky and original collection of youthful alternative and modern tracks combines fuels force behind the new Alice in Wonderland soundtrack.
SOLDIER OF LOVE – Sade [2-9-2010]. Especially “Solider of Love,” “The Moon and the Sky” and “Bring Me Home.” It’s been ten years since Sade dropped her last album, and we welcome the return of her sultry, emotionally-rich tracks.
BEST ALBUMS OF 2009 THE BLUEPRINT – Jay-Z [9-11-09]. Especially “Run This Town,” “A Star is Born” “Empire State of Mind” and “Young Forever.” The much-anticipated and leaked-ahead-of-time album by Jay-Z showcases a truckload of guest appearances (only 4/15 songs are solo) to stack his latest R&B album.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – The Twilight Saga – New Moon [10-8-09]. Especially “Meet Me on the Equinox,” “Satellite Heart” and “Monsters.” A light, ethereal romp into the world of indie tracks and groups and sounds, mostly mellow.
IT’S NOT ME IT’S YOU – Lily Allen [2-10-09]. Especially “The Fear,” “Not Fair,” “Who’d Have Known.” With her irresistible cockney accent and clever, often sarcastic lyrics, Lily Allen launches a captivating winner as her sophomore effort.
TROUBADOR – K’naan [2-24-09]. Especially “ABC’S,” “If Rap Gets Jealous” and “I Come Prepared”. A new and original and multi-lingual voice in hip hop, K’naan has high street cred when it comes to street life given he’s from the slums of Somalia, but still open to teaming up with pop white boy Adam Levine and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammet, among others like Mos Def and Damien Marley.
OOH’s and AHH’s – Say Hi [3-3-09]. Especially “November was White, December Was Grey,” “Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh” and “Hallie and Henry.” An inventive alt-sound that reaches from hip plaintive to club danceable.
ASA – Asa [1-27-09] Especially “Jailer,” “Fire on the Mountain” and “No One Knows.” A cool load of soulful African jazz tracks from this new sensation out of Nigeria.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX – Phoenix [5-26-09]. Especially “1901,” “Lisztomania” “Girlfriend” and “Fences.” French indie-rock band who recently gained pop cred a summer SNL appearance.
RHYTHMS DEL MUNDO: Classics [8-11-09]. A compilation of well-chosen pop iconographic pop tracks covered alternatively and with a splash of Latin sizzle. See full review at www.rollnsmokerecords-bestnewcovers.blogspot.com
ALL IN ONE – Bebel Gilberto [9-29-09]. Especially “Sun is Shining,” “Secret” and “Bim Bom.” Offering sultry, Latina-flavored tracks, many of them covers of classics that slide between Portuguese and ½ English, this Brazilain beauty, descended from a fine musical bloodline, debuts on the Verve label.
STRONGER BY EACH TEAR – Mary J. Blige [12-21-09]. Especially “The One,” “I Am” and “I Feel Good.” It’s easy to get onboard with this R&B soulstress with an upbeat, Girl Power message.
LOVE TATTOO – Imelda May [8-18-09]. Especially “Johnny Got a Boom Boom,” “Big Bad Handsome Man” and “Feel Me.” A jazzy debut album features shmaltzy horns and strong, soulful, old school, boogie-woogie by emerging Irish vocalist.
MAMA ROSA – Brian Blade [4-21-09]. Especially “Mercy Angel,” “Struggling with That,” “Her Song” and “You’ll Always Be My Baby.” Jazz musician from Louisiana – drummer, singer-songwriter and bandleader – is behind beautiful, expressive mellow tracks with soulful monster jams.
HOMBRE LOBO – Eels [6-2-09]. Especially “That Look You Give That Guy,” “In My Dreams” and “Fresh Blood.” Achingly true ballads from trio out of Virginia, featuring singular singer-songwriter Mark Oliver Everett.
LOVE 2 – Air [10-5-09] Especially “Love,” “Heaven’s Light” and “Night Hunter.” Chill, ethereal and melodic -- where the 60’s meet the new millennium -- a la gauzy, synth-pop electronica.
DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE – Kings of Convenience [10-20-09]. Especially “Mrs. Cold,” “Power of Not Knowing” and “Boat Behind.” A Euro-version of Simon & Garfunkel, these (Bergen) Norwegians lay out pretty, mellow beach-grooves with blended harmony duets.
FONDO – Vieux Farka Toure [5-26-09] Especially “Diaraby Magni,” “Slow Jam,” “Sarama,” “Cherie La,” “FaFa.” An inspired sophomore album from young Malian protégé, brimming with enchanting, contemporary dub – all groovin’ guitar and percussion, some jams, some soulfully chanting vocals, some tracks more exotic than others.
IMPERIAL BLAZE – Sean Paul [8-17-09}. Especially “So Fine,” “Hold My Hand (I’ll Be There)” and “Now That I’ve Got Your Love.” His 20-track packed fourth album showcases the dinstinctivce and catchy dancehall roots that is this Jamaican superstar’s forte.
DEEPER THAN RAP – Rick Ross [4-21-09]. Especially “All I Really Want,” “Yacht Club” and “Magnificent.” Mixing star-power cameo duets with Rick Ross’s hard-bravado, un-melodic raps.
A NEW TIDE – Gomez [3-31-09]. Especially “Airstream Driver,” “Little Pieces,” “Bone Tired” and “Mix.” British guitar folk band from Northern England collects a fine array of mostly mellow, likeable tracks, one after another.
R.O.O.T.S. -- “Route of Overcoming the Struggle” -- Flo Rida [3-30-09]. Especially “Sugar,” “Shone,” “Right Round” and “Mind on My Money.” With a boomin’-bangion’ line-up of soon-to-be Flo Rida classics, this quintessential singles rapper from the Sunshine State packs to-the-max energetic hip-hop over danceable, synthed backbeats with monster guest appearances from Ne Yo, Wyclef, Akon, Nelly Furtado and Pleasure P., among others.
IF TOMORROW COMES – Maino [5-18-09]. Especially “Million Bucks,” “Hi, Haters” and “All the Above.” Numerous collaborations stack up on this hip-hop album from favorite rapper who’s big in New York mix-tape circuit.
SUGAR SHACK – Damon Fowler [1-27-09]. Especially “Sugar Lee,” “Some Fun” and “Sugar Shack.” The kind of album that you turn on and the dance floor just fills up – and stays that way through every track -- brimming with electric blues jams.
LOVE, SAVE THE EMPTY -- Erin McCarley [1-6-09]. Especially “Pony It’s OK,” “Love, Save the Empty,” “It’s Not That Easy.” A singer-songwriter and Texas-gone soCal performer with an ethereally sweet voice creates churns out acoustic adult-alt-pop tracks.
ENTERTAINMENT – Fischerspooner [5-5-09]. Especially “The Best Revenge,” “Money Can’t Dance” and “In a Modern World.” You’ve got to go for an album brimming with electronica, but if you can do that, these tracks have a sensibility for strong dance beats and lyrical messages as conceived by New York electronica duo.
XINTI -- Sara Tavares [8-11-09]. Especially “Di Alma,” “Quando Das Um Pouco Mais,” and “Pe Na Strada.” Peaceful, tropical percussions float in the background of these exotic, beach-like, flowing vocal feasts by native Cape Verdian-transplanted-to -Portugal musician.
KAMAAL THE ABSTRACT – Q-Tip [9-15-09]. Especially “Do You Dig U,” “Even if it is So” and “Blue Girl.” Inventive tracks from former Tribe Called Quest member off long-delayed album that combines jazz fusion with contemporary hip-hop.
11:11 – Rodrigo y Gabriela [9-8-09]. Especially “Buster Voodoo,” “11:11” and “Hanuman”. Dueling guitars by duo out of Meixco City to the streets of Dublin combine on all instrumental tracks for fun, unique and enjoyable listening.
