I'm certainly glad to see this get AOTW, but I think you need to do some more homework before you anoint it "the best thing she's ever done." This feels like an achievement on par with her first (FANTASTIC) solo album Rabbit Fur Coat, the one with that Traveling Wilburys cover on it. You should really give it another listen.
Anyone else notice how on the last Rick Ross song Jigga was featured on (2010's "Free Mason") Jay has a whole Lucifer-themed verse, including the line "The devil is alive, I feel him breathing"? Seriously, "the devil is alive" to "the devil is a lie" in three years. I can't keep up with rap's theology.
Fauntleroy steals this thing.
And anyone else find it amusing that the first single off of "Textbook Timbo" is just his best impression of "40" Shabib?
1. Great song. Great video. The "critiques" do seem somewhat blown out of proportion.
2. BUT, did anyone else notice how Allen is appropriating a line from Common (appropriated itself from Three 6 Mafia) off a song ("Drivin' Me Wild") that she herself is featured on? Quote: "It's hard out here for a pimp, but extra hard for these hoes." The sentiment is of course still worth repeating, I'm not about to try and Rand Paul her here or anything, but DID any of the other five people who own Finding Forever notice this?
3. I kinda do wanna see Lily Allen twerk. "Chronic cellulite" or no she looks good in this video. Am I crazy for this one, too?
4. There is seriously something called "TwitLonger"? Ugh.
5. Can't think of a 5 or 6.
On an unrelated note, something about the combo of Bruce Springsteen and Drive-By Truckers makes me really want to see a Lucinda Williams ediiton of this feature soon.
Uhm, so I consider myself a Drive-By Truckers fan, and A Blessing and A Curse is my favorite album of theirs. Granted, it has a lot to do with the fact that it's the first one I got, after seeing an amazing show in support of it, and I recognize that I'm an outlier, but don't you think it's something of a bold statement to assume one album couldn't possibly be any fan's favorite? Particularly an album with songs like "Gravity's Gone," "Easy on Yourself," and "Daylight." Particularly with a band as consistently great as DBT.
Acid Rap - Chance the Rapper
...is my vote for the album of the year.
I'd like it on vinyl if that were actually possible...
but I'll take the National instead if you pick me for this contest :D
Also, there's still a lot from this year that I have to hear,
but I can assuredly say the Local Natives album deserves to be on there more than the Le1f mixtape.
In my opinion, anyway.
Second this. Really glad this underappreciated band is getting some love on this site, but that box set is so incredible it kind of renders the list itself unnecessary.
I feel like I did the first time I heard good kid, mA.A.d city: like I'm going to be listening to this on repeat for a while.
Seriously, the only thing weak moments are the guest verses. Action and Ab-Soul both come dangerously close to derailing otherwise great songs. In what world does Childish Gambino come off sounding better than both of them combined? This one, apparently.
I'm curious as to other people's thoughts on The People's Key. Personally, it's one of my favorite Bright Eyes albums. It probably is the most produced of any of them, but not by that much compared to Cassadaga or even Wide Awake. Ladder Song is definitely the best song, and I don't even necessarily feel more songs from it should be on this list (stuffed with classics, to be sure) but songs like Shell Games, Beginner's Mind, and the last track surely keep it from being so easily dismissed as simply "bloated." Or am I shitting myself, so to speak?
Also, great call with Trees Get Rolled Away. What a song.
The Velvet Underground version of "Satellite of Love" is worthy of inclusion in a VU "10 Best Songs" list far more so than the Lou Reed version is worthy of inclusion in his. In my opinion, anyway; I'd have replaced it with Romeo Had Juliette (or just about anything else from New York, that shit is golden). Great to see at least one mention of New Sensations, though. That album is severely under-appreciated.
As someone getting more into metal but often at a loss for where to start, I'm loving "Counting Down" entries like this. Can you guys do Converge next? Or can someone just go ahead and tell me where to go next after "All We Love We Leave Behind"?
Angel Haze should absolutely be on this list. I'd put her mixtapes in the top twenty ALBUMS of the year, hip hop or no.
Also, "Cruel Summer" is mediocre, but at forty albums, it's probably worth a slot, especially if the equally mediocre "Roman Reloaded" is. Or you could do what I did and make a playlist of the good halves of each of those albums, call it "Pink Summer," and end up with a MONSTER of a singles comp (pun intended).
And as far as producer of the year, I'd say it pretty unequivocally goes to Hit-Boy. Think about it: Goldie, Backseat Freestyle, Clique, Come on a Cone, 1Train, it goes on...
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