MY MUSIC TASTE IS ALL OVER THE MAP, AND THAT MAKES ME SAD:
I miss the days when I was all about electro, or all about instrumentals, or all about shitty Mandopop. But now I have like eight playlists that I rotate tconstantly, every day, so my year-end bests are going to reflect that. I normally don't do these lists, but glassbomb is very good with internet threats.
Originally I had planned on counting down my 10 favorite albums and 10 favorite singles, but there was a problem with that. Since I get my kicks from remixes and mash-ups, a lot of my favorite tracks weren't part of any larger full release. That being said, it worked out in the end, because I only found about eight albums that really grabbed me, so I, uh, appropriated the last two spots for extra singles.
Single tracks are all provided for you, but I don't have the patience to upload all of the albums (and I'm also a Sinful Deleter of Tracks I Do Not Like, so I hardly have any of these in full). If anyone is swayed enough, I'll do them on a by-request basis.
Onward!
TOP EIGHT ALBUMS OF 2008
8. 林俊傑 (JJ Lin), 陸 (Sixology)
Fucking right, I'm starting with Mandopop. JJ Lin's sixth release is probably the most solid pop album to come out of Taiwan this year. To characterize his music, it's pure pop with some R&B influences, punctuated by his velvety voice and trademark piano lines. What I really enjoy about him is that his singing is suited for almost anything, ballads, love duets, dance tracks. This is just a really solid album that I listened to a lot this year.
FAVORITE TRACK: "不潮不用花錢" (Mediafire)
Okay, so the music video benefits from three things: a truly hideous plaid-on-plaid(-on-plaid?) outfit, a dorky but highly learnable dance, and cameos by 16-year-old twin sensations By2, which I find hilarious, especially when they start grinding on him. But back to the song itself. It's a pretty perfect specimen of contemporary Mandopop, let me tell you why. It borrows a staccato synth line from Kanye's "Flashing Lights" but sort of owns it anyway, it plays with the rhythm of the lyrics, and most importantly, IT HAS ENGRISH RAP IN THE MIDDLE. OH GOD, IT PLEASES ME SO MUCH. If anyone can tell me what "Little chick having chips on my sofa / Bear bricks take a shit on my sofa / Smudge babies lying on my sofa / Neighborhoods and kicks singing sofa" means, they would seriously win at the internet.
7. Utada Hikaru, HEART STATION
HIKKI, MY LOVE. YOU NEVER FAIL TO DISAPPOINT ME. This album somehow manages to be really classic and cutting-edge at the same time. I think it has to do with her voice -- it doesn't matter if the song is slow or fast, if the instrumentation is synthetic or traditional, if the inspiration is 80s or futuristic, the clarity of her voice takes center stage and makes everything else fit around it. Plus, she has a short little children's song, which translates into "I'm a Bear," that's too cute for words. I don't know, I just adore her. She always cheers me up.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Stay Gold" (Mediafire)
s;alkdjassdkd PRETTIEST SONG OF THE YEAR, hands down. The piano melody, the understated accompaniment, the effortless melding of her mellow low tones and her angelic high tones, everything just works so beautifully. The video is a live act, which is an excellent showcase of the emotion she's able to bring to her performances, but the recorded version lacks none of it. One of my favorite tracks by her EVER.
6. Hercules & Love Affair, self-titled
This album has a little bit of everything. It sounds like the soundtrack to show-and-tell time at theater camp. It's retro, it's mostly happy, it has just the right amount of brass and just the right amount of sass. How could it not? -- The lead vocalist is a trans woman named Nomi Ruiz. Nothing is more amazing than when a song starts up and you're waiting for the big diva voice to kick in, but instead you get a throaty croon. Let me reiterate: IT'S AMAZING.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Iris" (Mediafire)
Ironically, on such a disco-sounding album, I fell in love with the most psychadelic track. I like the trumpet highlights, the meandering shuffling of the synth line, and the general loveliness of it, I think.
5. 黃立行 (Stanley), 最後只好躺下來 (In the End We All Lay Down)
I wasn't really into Stanley before this album, so I don't know what his older stuff sounds like, but I really like how his voice is soothing and sad at the same time. The music is not edgy enough to be electro-pop, but I like the way some of the songs toe that line; it's mostly a collection of wistful minor-key melodies with some heavier rock elements (which actually sort of detracts from a few tracks, in my opinion). Music for dancing sadly by oneself, maybe? I like that I can't categorize this album.
FAVORITE TRACK: "黑夜盡頭" (Mediafire)
This is probably the closest thing Taiwan has to electro-pop, sadly. I don't know if the womanly lilts in between chorus and verse are done in his voice or not, but I like the ballad quality of the melody and lyrics set against such a pop backdrop. This song is just begging for a remix, and there are more on the album that could benefit from a good whirl on the turntable.
4. Yelle, Pop-Up
French electro-pop at its best: addictive, danceable, interesting. Julie Budet sounds like a cross between the captain of the cheerleading team and the stand-up comedienne all the neighborhood boys have a crush on. Sweet, but with a hard candy edge to keep it more flavorful. Everything on the album works, from the stroll-in-the-park melody of "Tu Es Beau," to the 80s hand clapper "Ce Jeu" (a song that inspired some of my favorite remixes of the year), to clubbier tracks like "Mon Meilleur Ami."
FAVORITE TRACK: "A Cause Des Garcons" (Mediafire)
Many, many solid choices, but there's something about the weighty electro guitar lines in this, and the saucy refrain, and how it gets stuck in my head for hours on end, and the fact that it got the greatest remix job out of the hundreds of Yelle remixes this year, courtesy of Riot in Belgium.
3. Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid
See what I mean by WOW MY PLAYLISTS MAKE ME FEEL SCHIZO?? Top to bottom, this is the one album on my list that sticks out the most, although if Explosions had come out with something new this year, it might not look quite so weird. Anyway, I find it a bit difficult to quantify the loveliness of this album. Rough lullabies, maybe, or confessions told in the form of fairy tales. Guy Garvey's voice is husky, and some of the songs feel scratchy and etched with personal history. When he sings "It's breaking my heart" over and over again on "Some Riot," his voice breaks as he hits the high note as if his heart really is shattering, and it's impossible not to drown in that sort of honesty.
FAVORITE TRACK: "The Bones of You" (Mediafire)
It was difficult to pick a favorite, because most of The Seldom Seen Kid is wonderful, but it's hard to argue with a song that provided the entire soundtrack to a story I wrote recently. It's one of the faster songs on the record, and I like how the tempo and Spanish melodies offset the gravitas of the lyrics, the story that's really being told. It's one of the more complex songs on the album, and the video is great as well.
2. Crystal Castles, self-titled
This is one of those albums that I've listened to so often that I can't talk about it very well. It's a part of me now; it would be like trying to describe the color of my soul. (BLACK. VERY BLACK.) I suppose calling it the best electro release of the year would suffice, but it would also be cheating. Okay, how about this. Alice Glass's voice comes through like a kidnapping victim would plead for help over the phone, voice muzzled by technology and distance, unable to reign in her desperation -- until the frenzy of Ethan Kath's one-man accompaniment kicks in, and you realize that it's been a video game all along.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Courtship Dating" (Mediafire)
"Vanished" (which has male vocals) was actually my favorite the first few ... dozen times I played the album, but that was before I saw Crystal Castles live and realized that Alice Glass was the love of my life. I love the cadence of "Stove burns on my hands / show them to my friends / make them participate," and the repeated squeal in the background, which I still can't tell whether it's a synth effect or an actual scream. This is what I love about electro shit!!
1. Ladytron, Velocifero
DSGJAS;LFAJSWKF it was hard to choose between this and CC for favorite album of the year, but in the end, Ladytron got me through the worst weeks of my life, when I was pushing through my B.A., and they're my first choice music to prep film to at Doc, so that gives it the edge. I absolutely adore the femininity of the album -- all the songs remind me of those vintage images of women working in the factories during WWII, using eyeliner to draw pantyhose seams up their calves, that defiant illusion of prosperity. There's something so strikingly sexy about this band, and I feel like they use that seductiveness in full force on this album. That is all. ♥
FAVORITE TRACK: "Versus" (Mediafire)
THE LYRICS. THE HARMONIZING. IT FEELS LIKE A VITAL ORGAN BEATING IN MY CHEST. EVERYTHING OMG.
TOP TWELVE SINGLES OF 2008
(shit, guys, this is where things get really messed up)
12. Cazals, "Life is Boring (Crookers Zupa Dela Cazals Remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
It's punchy, it's terrifically layered, and there's just enough variation in the midst of all the deep-tone synth to keep things fun. It's like Crookers is saying, life is boring, let's make some kick-ass music.
11. Los Campesinos!, "You! Me! Dancing!" (Youtube)(Mediafire)
I can only listen to Los Campesinos! in small doses, because exclamation-ridden Welsh twee is sort of a cultivated taste, I think, but this is just a great song. It has an early buildup, significant glockenspiel presence, a sweet little chambery solo in the middle -- AND IT ACTUALLY DELIVERS ON ITS PROMISE OF ITS TITLE. It's so stupidly earnest. :D
10. Lele, "Breakfast" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
This song slays me. It has the double pleasure of being catchy and danceable, but also? FUNNY AS FUCK. Its humor is definitely enhanced by the music video, so I recommend watching that first. If only the rest of the album were as good as this song (several tracks do come close), because I pretty much listen to this song at least once a day.
9. Death Cab for Cutie, "Bixby Canyon Bridge" (live on Youtube) (Mediafire)
I'm not even a DCFC fan? But man, this track showed up in a recent episode of Friday Night Lights, and I ended up downloading the entire album. There's something defiantly expansive about Ben Gibbard's lyrics, like falling in love and sunrises and road trips all at once. What a lovely song.
8. White Lies, "Death (Crystal Castles Remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
The only thing that could compete with a Crystal Castles original is a Crystal Castles remix. Their version of Klaxons' "Atlantis to Interzone" was one of my top tracks last year (or ever), and they haven't let up at all -- the juxtaposition of the new-wave vocals and the messy, thrashy undergrowth is both startling and completely natural, like an earthquake. Echoes end the song on a therapeutic note. I am stunned.
7. 蕭閎仁, "王寶釧苦守寒窯十八年" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
Xiao Hong-Ren's debut album wasn't quite cohesive enough to make it into my top eight list, but I had to get him in this post somehow, because this is a really astonishing song. It's hard to explain, but let me try anyway. The title refers to a popular love story in Chinese folklore, loosely translated as Lady Precious Stream, where the wife of a soldier waits 18 years for him to return from war (some discussion about the play here). The song itself was inspired by Hong-Ren's memory of watching street opera performers with his grandmother, and there are several different transitions within the song between different musical genre. The opening is a jazzy, contemporary R&B section, but in the middle of the song, Hong-Ren actually breaks into Chinese Opera. The singing style, the delivery of the lyrics, everything. That then transitions into a heavier bridge, before progressing as a power ballad through the end. It's not just the structure of the song, either; Hong-Ren has a superbly powerful voice, which makes the extremely detailed vocals and lyrics stand up. It's just a wonderfully crafted and executed song, SORRY IF I BORED YOU OMG. Just listen to it and you'll know what I mean.
6. Cut Copy, "Lights & Music (Boys Noize Happy Birthday Remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
Okay, okay, a confession. I didn't like the Cut Copy album as much as everyone else did. It's baffling to me too. So how did this remix get so high on my list? One word: IMPERFECTIONS. Stutters, scratches, a slightly shuffled downbeat. That's the shit I love about remixes in general, I guess -- they mess things up, rub off the gloss. It's like pushing food around on your plate until you get something warped, but it still tastes delicious. Anyway, I think my problem with the original is that it was a little too put-together? I love the fact that Boys Noize take away layers that reappear later, while still retaining the basic spirit of the song and the Cut Copy sound.
5. Foals, "Hummer" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
sa;ljdfawdjafkds this song is weird, it's frenetic, it's a bit druggy and a bit nonsensical, but my brain will forever equate it with the secret party episode of Skins, and Chris Miles's amazing overactive imagination, and Sid sitting in a bathtub full of alcohol and drugs, and random clown makeup, and Anwar in a red satin corset, and Michelle and Jal's ridiculously awesome prom dresses, and THE BEST FUCKING TIME IN THE WORLD. Basically, this song makes me want to throw massive dance parties.
4. MGMT, "Kids" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
I don't know how anyone can NOT have this song already, but there are always a few, I suppose. This doesn't feel like a rock song to me. It feels like gospel, like they are singing about revelations and Biblical tragedy and mortal sin. It's a five-minute cautionary tale with a brilliant opening sequence, a simple hook, and a heavy heart.
3. Neon Coyote, "M.I.A.M.U.S.I.C. (Sid & Nancy/Symbol One/M.I.A.)" (Mediafire)
Can't find any previewable clips of the song online, so you'll just have to trust me on this. This mashup is sexy and audacious, but lovingly constructed so that it feels seamless. The best bra you've ever owned, basically.
2. The Whip, "Trash (The Bloody Beetroots remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
BEST REMIX OF THE YEAR. (I may be approximating the date a bit, but I'm pretty sure it's a 2008 creation.) The original song is pretty bangin, but the Bloody Beetroots aren't the soundtrack of my life for nothing. They barge their way into the beat, they really just impose their will on this song. It's sickening how much I love this thing. I love it so much it also served as the entire soundtrack for a fic I wrote recently. It was a somewhat filthy fic, as you might imagine. The kicker for me is their use of the Windows sound effect you hear when you empty your recycle bin. That's just fucking clever.
1. Girls Aloud, "The Promise" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
No joke. The lyrics don't quite make sense, and somehow the live versions that I've seen so far have all been choppy and disappointing, but as a girly pop single, it really doesn't get better. The big band feel of the intro is delightful, and there's something I really enjoy about the slightly extraneous lead-in to the first chorus. It's comforting in essence, but there are also surprising melodic twists and turns that keep you on your toes no matter how many times you listen to it.
IT TOOK ME FOUR HOURS TO WRITE THIS POST, I THINK I'M GOING CRAZY WITH ALL THE LEAPS BETWEEN GENRES AND LANGUAGES AND WTF IS WRONG WITH ME, WHY DID I THINK THIS MEME WAS A GOOD IDEA? :| slkfda SHIT
Originally I had planned on counting down my 10 favorite albums and 10 favorite singles, but there was a problem with that. Since I get my kicks from remixes and mash-ups, a lot of my favorite tracks weren't part of any larger full release. That being said, it worked out in the end, because I only found about eight albums that really grabbed me, so I, uh, appropriated the last two spots for extra singles.
Single tracks are all provided for you, but I don't have the patience to upload all of the albums (and I'm also a Sinful Deleter of Tracks I Do Not Like, so I hardly have any of these in full). If anyone is swayed enough, I'll do them on a by-request basis.
Onward!
TOP EIGHT ALBUMS OF 2008
8. 林俊傑 (JJ Lin), 陸 (Sixology)
Fucking right, I'm starting with Mandopop. JJ Lin's sixth release is probably the most solid pop album to come out of Taiwan this year. To characterize his music, it's pure pop with some R&B influences, punctuated by his velvety voice and trademark piano lines. What I really enjoy about him is that his singing is suited for almost anything, ballads, love duets, dance tracks. This is just a really solid album that I listened to a lot this year.
FAVORITE TRACK: "不潮不用花錢" (Mediafire)
Okay, so the music video benefits from three things: a truly hideous plaid-on-plaid(-on-plaid?) outfit, a dorky but highly learnable dance, and cameos by 16-year-old twin sensations By2, which I find hilarious, especially when they start grinding on him. But back to the song itself. It's a pretty perfect specimen of contemporary Mandopop, let me tell you why. It borrows a staccato synth line from Kanye's "Flashing Lights" but sort of owns it anyway, it plays with the rhythm of the lyrics, and most importantly, IT HAS ENGRISH RAP IN THE MIDDLE. OH GOD, IT PLEASES ME SO MUCH. If anyone can tell me what "Little chick having chips on my sofa / Bear bricks take a shit on my sofa / Smudge babies lying on my sofa / Neighborhoods and kicks singing sofa" means, they would seriously win at the internet.
7. Utada Hikaru, HEART STATION
HIKKI, MY LOVE. YOU NEVER FAIL TO DISAPPOINT ME. This album somehow manages to be really classic and cutting-edge at the same time. I think it has to do with her voice -- it doesn't matter if the song is slow or fast, if the instrumentation is synthetic or traditional, if the inspiration is 80s or futuristic, the clarity of her voice takes center stage and makes everything else fit around it. Plus, she has a short little children's song, which translates into "I'm a Bear," that's too cute for words. I don't know, I just adore her. She always cheers me up.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Stay Gold" (Mediafire)
s;alkdjassdkd PRETTIEST SONG OF THE YEAR, hands down. The piano melody, the understated accompaniment, the effortless melding of her mellow low tones and her angelic high tones, everything just works so beautifully. The video is a live act, which is an excellent showcase of the emotion she's able to bring to her performances, but the recorded version lacks none of it. One of my favorite tracks by her EVER.
6. Hercules & Love Affair, self-titled
This album has a little bit of everything. It sounds like the soundtrack to show-and-tell time at theater camp. It's retro, it's mostly happy, it has just the right amount of brass and just the right amount of sass. How could it not? -- The lead vocalist is a trans woman named Nomi Ruiz. Nothing is more amazing than when a song starts up and you're waiting for the big diva voice to kick in, but instead you get a throaty croon. Let me reiterate: IT'S AMAZING.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Iris" (Mediafire)
Ironically, on such a disco-sounding album, I fell in love with the most psychadelic track. I like the trumpet highlights, the meandering shuffling of the synth line, and the general loveliness of it, I think.
5. 黃立行 (Stanley), 最後只好躺下來 (In the End We All Lay Down)
I wasn't really into Stanley before this album, so I don't know what his older stuff sounds like, but I really like how his voice is soothing and sad at the same time. The music is not edgy enough to be electro-pop, but I like the way some of the songs toe that line; it's mostly a collection of wistful minor-key melodies with some heavier rock elements (which actually sort of detracts from a few tracks, in my opinion). Music for dancing sadly by oneself, maybe? I like that I can't categorize this album.
FAVORITE TRACK: "黑夜盡頭" (Mediafire)
This is probably the closest thing Taiwan has to electro-pop, sadly. I don't know if the womanly lilts in between chorus and verse are done in his voice or not, but I like the ballad quality of the melody and lyrics set against such a pop backdrop. This song is just begging for a remix, and there are more on the album that could benefit from a good whirl on the turntable.
4. Yelle, Pop-Up
French electro-pop at its best: addictive, danceable, interesting. Julie Budet sounds like a cross between the captain of the cheerleading team and the stand-up comedienne all the neighborhood boys have a crush on. Sweet, but with a hard candy edge to keep it more flavorful. Everything on the album works, from the stroll-in-the-park melody of "Tu Es Beau," to the 80s hand clapper "Ce Jeu" (a song that inspired some of my favorite remixes of the year), to clubbier tracks like "Mon Meilleur Ami."
FAVORITE TRACK: "A Cause Des Garcons" (Mediafire)
Many, many solid choices, but there's something about the weighty electro guitar lines in this, and the saucy refrain, and how it gets stuck in my head for hours on end, and the fact that it got the greatest remix job out of the hundreds of Yelle remixes this year, courtesy of Riot in Belgium.
3. Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid
See what I mean by WOW MY PLAYLISTS MAKE ME FEEL SCHIZO?? Top to bottom, this is the one album on my list that sticks out the most, although if Explosions had come out with something new this year, it might not look quite so weird. Anyway, I find it a bit difficult to quantify the loveliness of this album. Rough lullabies, maybe, or confessions told in the form of fairy tales. Guy Garvey's voice is husky, and some of the songs feel scratchy and etched with personal history. When he sings "It's breaking my heart" over and over again on "Some Riot," his voice breaks as he hits the high note as if his heart really is shattering, and it's impossible not to drown in that sort of honesty.
FAVORITE TRACK: "The Bones of You" (Mediafire)
It was difficult to pick a favorite, because most of The Seldom Seen Kid is wonderful, but it's hard to argue with a song that provided the entire soundtrack to a story I wrote recently. It's one of the faster songs on the record, and I like how the tempo and Spanish melodies offset the gravitas of the lyrics, the story that's really being told. It's one of the more complex songs on the album, and the video is great as well.
2. Crystal Castles, self-titled
This is one of those albums that I've listened to so often that I can't talk about it very well. It's a part of me now; it would be like trying to describe the color of my soul. (BLACK. VERY BLACK.) I suppose calling it the best electro release of the year would suffice, but it would also be cheating. Okay, how about this. Alice Glass's voice comes through like a kidnapping victim would plead for help over the phone, voice muzzled by technology and distance, unable to reign in her desperation -- until the frenzy of Ethan Kath's one-man accompaniment kicks in, and you realize that it's been a video game all along.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Courtship Dating" (Mediafire)
"Vanished" (which has male vocals) was actually my favorite the first few ... dozen times I played the album, but that was before I saw Crystal Castles live and realized that Alice Glass was the love of my life. I love the cadence of "Stove burns on my hands / show them to my friends / make them participate," and the repeated squeal in the background, which I still can't tell whether it's a synth effect or an actual scream. This is what I love about electro shit!!
1. Ladytron, Velocifero
DSGJAS;LFAJSWKF it was hard to choose between this and CC for favorite album of the year, but in the end, Ladytron got me through the worst weeks of my life, when I was pushing through my B.A., and they're my first choice music to prep film to at Doc, so that gives it the edge. I absolutely adore the femininity of the album -- all the songs remind me of those vintage images of women working in the factories during WWII, using eyeliner to draw pantyhose seams up their calves, that defiant illusion of prosperity. There's something so strikingly sexy about this band, and I feel like they use that seductiveness in full force on this album. That is all. ♥
FAVORITE TRACK: "Versus" (Mediafire)
THE LYRICS. THE HARMONIZING. IT FEELS LIKE A VITAL ORGAN BEATING IN MY CHEST. EVERYTHING OMG.
TOP TWELVE SINGLES OF 2008
(shit, guys, this is where things get really messed up)
12. Cazals, "Life is Boring (Crookers Zupa Dela Cazals Remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
It's punchy, it's terrifically layered, and there's just enough variation in the midst of all the deep-tone synth to keep things fun. It's like Crookers is saying, life is boring, let's make some kick-ass music.
11. Los Campesinos!, "You! Me! Dancing!" (Youtube)(Mediafire)
I can only listen to Los Campesinos! in small doses, because exclamation-ridden Welsh twee is sort of a cultivated taste, I think, but this is just a great song. It has an early buildup, significant glockenspiel presence, a sweet little chambery solo in the middle -- AND IT ACTUALLY DELIVERS ON ITS PROMISE OF ITS TITLE. It's so stupidly earnest. :D
10. Lele, "Breakfast" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
This song slays me. It has the double pleasure of being catchy and danceable, but also? FUNNY AS FUCK. Its humor is definitely enhanced by the music video, so I recommend watching that first. If only the rest of the album were as good as this song (several tracks do come close), because I pretty much listen to this song at least once a day.
9. Death Cab for Cutie, "Bixby Canyon Bridge" (live on Youtube) (Mediafire)
I'm not even a DCFC fan? But man, this track showed up in a recent episode of Friday Night Lights, and I ended up downloading the entire album. There's something defiantly expansive about Ben Gibbard's lyrics, like falling in love and sunrises and road trips all at once. What a lovely song.
8. White Lies, "Death (Crystal Castles Remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
The only thing that could compete with a Crystal Castles original is a Crystal Castles remix. Their version of Klaxons' "Atlantis to Interzone" was one of my top tracks last year (or ever), and they haven't let up at all -- the juxtaposition of the new-wave vocals and the messy, thrashy undergrowth is both startling and completely natural, like an earthquake. Echoes end the song on a therapeutic note. I am stunned.
7. 蕭閎仁, "王寶釧苦守寒窯十八年" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
Xiao Hong-Ren's debut album wasn't quite cohesive enough to make it into my top eight list, but I had to get him in this post somehow, because this is a really astonishing song. It's hard to explain, but let me try anyway. The title refers to a popular love story in Chinese folklore, loosely translated as Lady Precious Stream, where the wife of a soldier waits 18 years for him to return from war (some discussion about the play here). The song itself was inspired by Hong-Ren's memory of watching street opera performers with his grandmother, and there are several different transitions within the song between different musical genre. The opening is a jazzy, contemporary R&B section, but in the middle of the song, Hong-Ren actually breaks into Chinese Opera. The singing style, the delivery of the lyrics, everything. That then transitions into a heavier bridge, before progressing as a power ballad through the end. It's not just the structure of the song, either; Hong-Ren has a superbly powerful voice, which makes the extremely detailed vocals and lyrics stand up. It's just a wonderfully crafted and executed song, SORRY IF I BORED YOU OMG. Just listen to it and you'll know what I mean.
6. Cut Copy, "Lights & Music (Boys Noize Happy Birthday Remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
Okay, okay, a confession. I didn't like the Cut Copy album as much as everyone else did. It's baffling to me too. So how did this remix get so high on my list? One word: IMPERFECTIONS. Stutters, scratches, a slightly shuffled downbeat. That's the shit I love about remixes in general, I guess -- they mess things up, rub off the gloss. It's like pushing food around on your plate until you get something warped, but it still tastes delicious. Anyway, I think my problem with the original is that it was a little too put-together? I love the fact that Boys Noize take away layers that reappear later, while still retaining the basic spirit of the song and the Cut Copy sound.
5. Foals, "Hummer" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
sa;ljdfawdjafkds this song is weird, it's frenetic, it's a bit druggy and a bit nonsensical, but my brain will forever equate it with the secret party episode of Skins, and Chris Miles's amazing overactive imagination, and Sid sitting in a bathtub full of alcohol and drugs, and random clown makeup, and Anwar in a red satin corset, and Michelle and Jal's ridiculously awesome prom dresses, and THE BEST FUCKING TIME IN THE WORLD. Basically, this song makes me want to throw massive dance parties.
4. MGMT, "Kids" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
I don't know how anyone can NOT have this song already, but there are always a few, I suppose. This doesn't feel like a rock song to me. It feels like gospel, like they are singing about revelations and Biblical tragedy and mortal sin. It's a five-minute cautionary tale with a brilliant opening sequence, a simple hook, and a heavy heart.
3. Neon Coyote, "M.I.A.M.U.S.I.C. (Sid & Nancy/Symbol One/M.I.A.)" (Mediafire)
Can't find any previewable clips of the song online, so you'll just have to trust me on this. This mashup is sexy and audacious, but lovingly constructed so that it feels seamless. The best bra you've ever owned, basically.
2. The Whip, "Trash (The Bloody Beetroots remix)" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
BEST REMIX OF THE YEAR. (I may be approximating the date a bit, but I'm pretty sure it's a 2008 creation.) The original song is pretty bangin, but the Bloody Beetroots aren't the soundtrack of my life for nothing. They barge their way into the beat, they really just impose their will on this song. It's sickening how much I love this thing. I love it so much it also served as the entire soundtrack for a fic I wrote recently. It was a somewhat filthy fic, as you might imagine. The kicker for me is their use of the Windows sound effect you hear when you empty your recycle bin. That's just fucking clever.
1. Girls Aloud, "The Promise" (Youtube) (Mediafire)
No joke. The lyrics don't quite make sense, and somehow the live versions that I've seen so far have all been choppy and disappointing, but as a girly pop single, it really doesn't get better. The big band feel of the intro is delightful, and there's something I really enjoy about the slightly extraneous lead-in to the first chorus. It's comforting in essence, but there are also surprising melodic twists and turns that keep you on your toes no matter how many times you listen to it.
IT TOOK ME FOUR HOURS TO WRITE THIS POST, I THINK I'M GOING CRAZY WITH ALL THE LEAPS BETWEEN GENRES AND LANGUAGES AND WTF IS WRONG WITH ME, WHY DID I THINK THIS MEME WAS A GOOD IDEA? :| slkfda SHIT