Late Nite Playlist

So I didn't get to home last night, which meant that I was stuck here with @DMarcAnthony who is one of my very best friends. Still, he went to sleep leaving me to my own devices and suffice it to say, he's now rolling and stretching about in bed while i'm here, still awake writing this blog post.
So what did I do last nite, you ask? Well, in between all the flirting with random strangers on Facebook and the stream-of-consciousness tweets, the BBM-ing and naturally, the porn, I listened to music of course. Here's a little playlist I made with most of what I was singing along to:

- Florence and the Machine "Heavy in Your Arms"

- Beyonce "Hello"

- Robyn "Indestructible (Acoustic)"

- Rihanna "Fading"

- Janelle Monae "Cold War"

- Fever Ray "Coconut"

- Christina Aguilera "I Am"

- Sia "My Love"

- Adele "Rolling in the Deep"

- Bjork "All is Full of Love"

- Bruno Mars "Grenade"

- Katy Perry "Not Like the Movies"

- Pink "Glitter in the Air"

- R. Kelly "When a Woman Loves"

- Radiohead "Lotus Flower"

- Kanye West feat Paul Wall and GLC "Drive Slow"

- Grizzly Bear "Ready, Able"

- Lykke Li "Sadness is a Blessing"

- Christina Aguilera "Impossible"

- Madonna "Justify My Love"

- Justin Timberlake "Cry Me a River"

- Chris Brown "Crawl"

- Rihanna "California King Bed"

- Radiohead "House of Cards"

- Arcade Fire "City With No Children"

- Sarah McLachlan "Angel (Live)"

- Beyonce "Listen"

- Britney Spears "Everytime"

- Alicia Keys "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart"

- Whitney Houston "Call You Tonight"

- Jay-Z "Song Cry"

- Bjork "Who Is It"

- Christina Aguilera "Beautiful"

- Adele "I'll Be Waiting"

- Maxwell "Pretty Wings"

- Kate Bush "This Woman's Work"

As you can see, I personally love Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and Radiohead, but I do hope I introduced you to some new music or reminded you of some music you already love. As usual, thanks for reading.

2009 Men of the Year!

Overnight sensations. Economic meltdown. Deaths. Bankruptcy. Ah, 2009! Didn't you just love it?! Historically and economically, it was one of the worst years into the new millennium. But these ten guys below found a way to make the year work for them. In fact, these ten men OWNED 2009. It was theirs and we just happened to share it with them. Here are the ten men, who, in 2009, made big strides, and should be making even bigger in this new year. 

10. Drake

Hit singles, guest appearances alongside Jay-Z and Eminem and a critically-acclaimed mix tape have caused Drake to be the most hyped thing in hip-hop since Kanye West. Sorry, Kid Cudi.

9. LeBron James

Named 2009's MVP in the NBA, James sits at #19 on Forbes' list of the top-earning celebs of last year. Not since the days of Michael Jordan has a player made this much impact on and off the court.

8. Maxwell

So after playing an important role in the development of neo-soul, Maxwell disappeared into quasi-absolute obscurity for 8 years. But in 2009, Maxwell released BLACKsummers'night, an unexpected hit record, filled with grit, power and what else- soul. With 6 Grammy nominations, Maxwell seems to have finally come into his own.

7. Usain Bolt

Making records is always fun. Breaking them is even better. Just ask Bolt, the first man since maybe Bob Marley who made the whole world wish they were born Jamaican. He's been called the Michael Jackson of Track and Field, and while that comparison seems a bit silly, it's actually quite apt.

6. Christoph Waltz

He's already won about 22 industry awards for his performance in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (more on him later) and you know what? He probably should win even more; it was the performance of a lifetime that absolutely no one saw coming.

5. Jay-Z

 

So according to Forbes again, Hov is 1/2 of the top earning couples in entertainment, married or otherwise. That's quite a colossal feat considering some of the couples out there. But if that were all that went well for Jigga in '09, it'd be enough. Add to that three more hit singles, two Grammy nominations, AND the fact that he's now into his 11th #1 album,  a record for a solo act in the history of the Billboard charts.

4. Quentin Tarantino

There is no other director operating today with more chutzpah than Quentin Tarantino. Word is, he angered quite a few on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival, with many of the audience members actually walking out during the viewing of Inglourious Basterds. But then the public saw it, and they spoke- the film is Tarantino's highest-grossing film at the US box office and world-wide. And that's saying a whole lot considering he's made Pulp Fiction. With all types of Oscar buzz about the place, and one week away from the revelation of the nominees, i'd like to say "Screw you, Cannes!"

3. President Obama

As beloved as he is, there's no other politician as divisive as Obama. After ushering in new hope in the US, and the world, he's been hit hard with real affairs and of course mass criticism from the political right wing, his impact abroad has culminated with him being the fourth US president to have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

2. James Cameron

In today's box office climate, to have a film gross US$100 million is a fantastic achievement. But we're talking Cameron, here. (When Leo said "I'm the King of the world!" in Titanic, he wasn't talking about himself.) Avatar, you may have heard of it, has now grossed over US$1 billion world-wide (that "b" wasn't a typo); has ushered a new form of digital movie-making and is largely touted to win the Oscar for Best Film next March.

1. Michael Jackson

 

Yes, I know Jackson died in 2009. No, i'm not crazy. Don't believe me? Let's back track.

1. Back in March, when Jackson announced a string of 50 concerts in London, over 300,000 tickets sold out within mere minutes of availability, some selling for hundreds of pounds on internet auction sites.

2. When news of Jackson's death surfaced back in June, social media basically melt down due to heavy internet traffic all searching for news of the tragedy. For hours, Facebook and Twitter users were basically shut out, while for at least two months afterward, the most talked about thing on the two sites were of course, Jackson.

3. When Sony Pictures gained rights to the footage of the concert rehearsals and released it as a film, Kenny Ortega's This Is it, over the Halloween weekend, the fans came out in droves- in five days, the film became the highest-grossest concert film of all time.

4. And if all of that weren't enough, in addition to all the Michael Jackson-themed parties held between June and December from Paris to Jamaica, and the tributes from MTV and BET, Jackson was the highest-selling artiste of 2009 with over 8 million records sold in the US, doubling the sales of Taylor Swift, the Beatles and Susan Boyle.

Best Songs of 2009: #10-1

10. The Big Pink "Dominos"
Take Beck's "E-Pro". Add a ounce of MGMT's "Time to Pretend". Shake vigorously and presto change-o!

Fave line: "As soon I love her it's been too long/And I really love breaking your heart"





9. The Dirty Projectors "Stillness is the Move"
I don't know what else to say about this song that hasn't already been said, but here's what I think. It's a pop song. It's an R&B song. It's a hip-hop song. It's about life. It's about the after-life. It's about longing. It's about a lack of want. It's about me. It's about you.

Fave line: "On top of every mountain, there was a longing for an even higher mountain"



8. Phoenix "1901"
Smooth and spirited and dementedly catchy, the French band drowns everything in layers and layers of sexy synths. The best pop-rock hybrid of the year. Kudos to the Grammys for recognizing their talent.

Fave line: "It's 20 seconds til the last call/Going hey hey hey hey hey"



7. Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind"
The very best ode to New York ever written, and that's saying a lot. Even people who've never been to New York (myself included) love this song. It transcends generations, nationalities and geographies. No wonder it's such a big hit.

Fave line: "And Jesus can't save you/life starts when the Church ends"



6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"
"Maps" aside, this is, hands down, the best song the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever done. Yea, I said it. Possibly the most remarkable aspect of the song is how natural it sounds, especially when you consider that this is supposedly the band’s (as one press release put it) “all-new & more experimental sound.” As the song plummets deeper and deeper into a sonic disco, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that this is the same band that once peeled a layer of skin off of us with the line “Boy you’re just a stupid bitch and girl you’re just a no good dick.”

Fave line: "Shake it like a ladder to the sun/Makes me feel like a madman on the run"

 

5. Antony and the Johnsons "Aeon"
I didn't like the album, but I love this song. Pitchfork describes it as "depicting eternity as a baby boy born to take care of his father, as time melts generations together". Um. Right. *scratches head* I like it for the utter longing Antony Hegarty evokes, whatever the hell he's warbling about.

Fave line: "Let's do something differently/let's take our power back"




4. Lady GaGa "Paparazzi"
Where the hell did this girl/guy/person come from?? 2009 was the year of the GaGa, and pop music is all the better for it. As great as all her singles were this year, in my opinion, her greatest is "Paparazzi". Bathed in warm chords that communicate a swirl of emotion, the song is a tribute of sorts to the symbiotic but ultimately fake and "plastic" relationship between stars and their trailing paparazzi, and the accompanying music video takes the song to another level entirely.

Fave line: "You're my rock star in between the sets/Eye-liner and cigarettes"


 

3. Jay-Z "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"
So according to Jay, auto-tune is dead. Thank God for that.

Fave line: "I know we facing a recession, but the music y’all making going make it the Great Depression"




2. Animal Collective "My Girls"
As a promise to take care of one's loved ones, to provide for them self-lessly, it's the most universal thing heard all year. And to think it came from these weirdo's.

Fave line: "I don't mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status"




1. Major Lazer feat. Mr. Lexx and Santigold "Hold the Line"
Lemme just express my sentiments when I first heard this song- BLOODCLAWT!!!!! Now, with said, this may not have been the best dancehall song of the year. But the elements of this track work so much better than anything you may have heard from Vybz Kartel or Mavado- Santigold sounds like a reggae-robot lost somewhere between "Galang" and "A Milli", while the surf lick that boils over every few seconds could be the opening stutter from "Pulp Fiction". There's also a girlish giggle, some dial tones, some horses running and even an elephant. (Hey, if Missy can do the elephant thing, why not Diplo and Switch?) Yes, Lexx's rhymes about fucking the hottest girls dem are hardly revelatory, but if you can ignore that, you'll hear the singularly most creative thing all year. 

Best Single of 2009: #30-21

30. U2 "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
Silly song title, I know, but this song reminds me of something older in U2's discography. I can't quite put my hands on it, but it has that same grandiosity, that same urgency, that same immediacy as some of their best work.

Fave line: "The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear"




29. Fever Ray "Seven"
If you haven't seen this video, stop reading this and go watch it. Creepy as hell! But that's Karin for ya. The song isn't that creepy, but it does creep along stealthily. Love the soft tension it builds along the way.

Fave line: "Accompany me by the kitchen sink/We talk about love, we talk about dishwasher tablets"



28. Lily Allen "The Fear"
Lily Allen may very well be the female Kanye West in how much attention she gets from the shit that she talks. And "The Fear" may very well be her "All Falls Down"- a wry lament on how celebrity culture has changed her generation for the worse.

Fave line: "Everything's cool as long as i'm getting thinner"


The Fear video

Lily Allen | MySpace Music Videos

27. Lady GaGa "Poker Face"
Is it about gambling? Is it about sex? Is it about cheating? Well, according to GaGa, it's about that and much more. Weird song-writing has been missing from pop ever since Gwen Stefani has decided to go do whatever she's doing. Thank you GaGa for bringing it back. THE definitive song of 2009.
 
Fave line: "Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun, and baby when it's love, if it's not rough, it isn't fun"



26. Chris Brown feat. Swizz Beatz and Lil Wayne "I Can Transform Ya"
Chris Brown has had a rough year, so you can't really blame him that he tries to forget all he's been through. Operative word- tries. Say what you will though, the song works thanks in part to Swizz's paint can beats and Weezy's extra-terrestrial rhyming. It's "Upgrade Ya 2.0"

Fave line: "I transform her to a Ducati, then I transform me to a Bugatti"



25. Peter Bjorn and John "Nothing to Worry About"
The kids get me every time. Love the hip-hop beat. It's goofy, but in a nerd-who-secretly-loves-ra

p-music sorta way. One of the few things I played in 09 when I was down and actually felt better afterward. Also, one of the few good things on their album.
 

Fave line: "Negative, why always so negative? if you have problems, why don't you go solve them?"

24. Jay-Z feat. Rihanna and Kanye West "Run This Town"
Produced by No I.D. and featuring a chaotic military march beats, Jay just cruises along on this one allowing Rihanna and Kanye to show off.

Fave line: "It's crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow, to everybody on yo' dick, no homo"



23. Franz Ferdinand "Ulysses"
Great great song about what else? Getting high. And of course being so shit-faced, you don't remember the exploits of last night; you did something so wild, you're changed forever.

Fave line: "C'mon don't amuse me/I don't need your sympathy"




22. Julian Casablancas "11th Dimension"
The Strokes have been disappointing us since "Room on Fire", so hopes weren't high for Casablancas' solo disc. Well, count me just as surprised by this single as everyone else.

Fave line: "Drop your guard, you don't have to be so smart all the time"



21. Rihanna feat. Jeezy "Hard"
Rihanna has a word or two for her haters, but even then, she really doesn't see you- "Where them bloggers at?" she rhetorically asks. And who can wrong her? She's one of the biggest pop stars on the planet right now. The-Dream's clanking, surging beat makes this one instantly memorable, and coupled with that steaming video, it smells like yet another hit for Ri-Ri.

Fave line: "My runway never looked so clear, bout the hottest bitch in heels right here"

Currently Getting Into...

Jay-Z got a lot of flack for this album, but really, he doesn't care. Swizz Beatz, Alica Keys, Rihanna, Kanye West, Young Jeezy and Pharrell all turn up to pay homage to Jay-Hova, helping to make his finest album since The Black Album.

Di lickle island gyal grow up and mi love har even more! Anyone who thinks Rihanna is devoid or incapable of actual depth needs listen to "Fire Bomb" or "Cold Case Love" and everyone else who just wants to dance, "Te Amo" and "Hard" are there for you too.

It's hard to believe this disc is almost 4 years old with how ahead of the pop curve it is. Popping up on every other list of the best albums of last decade, critics were slow to actually admit that JT had given us one of the best pop/dance albums in a very long time. Ignore the song names (they all have "Sex" or "Love" in their titles), ignore the singing and lyrics if you will. But do yourself a favour and concede to Timbaland's glorious bottom-less, 21st century production.

Lady GaGa has amassed a large following in the one year she's been on the pop scene all thanks in part to this baby right here. Chocked full of dancefloor stompers, weird one-liners like "I'm lyin' with my muffin" and mega-hits like "Bad Romance" and "Poker Face", GaGa proves that The Fame was no one-off thing; she's here to stay.