Journal

1. A Piece of Strange- CunninLynguists – 2006

The Gates


Since When


2. The Blueprint- Jay-Z – 2001

Heart of the City


Song Cry


3. Train of Thought- Reflection Eternal – 2000

Love Language


Good Mourning


4. The Renaissance- Q-Tip – 2008

Life is Better


Getting Up


5. The Cool- Lupe Fiasco – 2007

Paris, Tokyo


Put You On Game



6. Masters of the Universe- Binary Star – 2000

Reality Check


New Hip Hop


7. Like Water for Chocolate- Common – 2000

The Light


6th Sense



8. Mind Over Matter- Zion I – 2000

Elevation


Inner Light


9. Graduation- Kanye West – 2007

Flashing Lights


Everything I Am


10. Late Registration- Kanye West – 2005

Gone


Hey Mama


11. Madvillainy- Madvillain – 2004

All Caps


Accordion


12. Supreme Clientele- Ghostface Killah – 2000

Nutmeg


Apollo Kids


13. Labor Days- Aesop Rock – 2001

Daylight


Save Yourself


14. Hell Hath No Fury- Clipse – 2006

Hello New World


Chinese New Year


15. Below The Heavens- Blu & Exile – 2007

So(ul) Amazing


Dancing In The Rain


16. The Cold Vein- Cannibal Ox – 2001

Vein


Stress Rap



17. The Marshall Mathers LP- Eminem – 2000

Stan


The Way I Am


18. Stankonia- OutKast – 2000

B.O.B.


Ms. Jackson


19. The Listening- Little Brother – 2003

The Way You Do It


Whatever You Say


20. God's Son- Nas – 2002

Thugz Mansion


Made You Look



21. Stillmatic- Nas - 2001

One Mic


Rule


22. Food & Liquor- Lupe Fiasco – 2006

Kick Push


Daydream


23. Fantastic Vol. 2- Slum Village – 2000

Fall in Love


Climax


24. American Gangster- Jay-Z - 2007

Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)


Fallin’


25.None Shall Pass- Aesop Rock - 2007

None Shall Pass


Fumes

51. The Grind Date- De La Soul – 2004

He Comes


No


52. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below- OutKast – 2003

Ghetto Musick


Hey Ya


53. Dirty Money- UGK – 2001

Wood Wheel


Like a Pimp


54. The Undisputed Truth- Brother Ali – 2007

Ear to Ear


Watcha Got


55. 50 Cent- 50 Cent – 2000

Qhetto Qu’ran


Life’s on the Line


56. Ink Is My Drink- Panacea – 2006

Steel Kites


Invisible Seas


57. Will Rap For Food- CunninLynguists – 2001

Lynguistics


Missing Children


58. Exit- k-os – 2002

Fantastique


Superstarr Pt. 0


59. 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up- Gift Of Gab – 2004

Way of the Light


Evolution




60. Man on the Moon- Kid Cudi – 2009

Up Up and Away


Pursuit of Happiness


61. The Ecstatic- Mos Def – 2009

Supermagic


Casa Bey



62. Bayani- Blue Scholars – 2007

Joe Metro


North By Northwest



63. HerFavoriteColo(u)r- Blu – 2009

Since


Amnesia


64. Mood Muzik 2- Joe Budden – 2006

Are You In that Mood Yet


3 Sides to a Story


65. Be- Common – 2005

Be


Go


66. Dilated Peoples- Dilated Peoples – 2001

Worst Come To Worst


Clockwork


67. Monkey Barz- Sean Price – 2005

Onion Head


Monkey Barz



68. Underground Kingz- UGK – 2007

Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)


Chrome Plated Woman


69. Earth Tones- Crown City Rockers – 2004

B-Boy


Without Love


70. Evolution Fight- Cyne – 2005

Arrow of God


Rappin


71. Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101- Young Jeezy – 2005

Bottom of the Map


Soul Survivor




72. I Phantom- Mr. Lif - 2002

Live from the Plantation


The Now


73. THE HEALING- Strange Fruit Project – 2006

Special


Ready Forum








74. The Old Prince- Shad - 2007

I Heard You Had A Voice Like an Angel



Out of Love Part II



75. Country Grammar- Nelly - 2000

Country Grammar



EI

Seems like 90% of indie bands are just bunch of emasculated boys singing girly choruses in high-pitched, feminine tones. Where's the rock? Where's the testosterone, where's the edge, the aggression, the BALLS? Getting tired of these little heroin chic, girl men wailing in falsetto.

I guess the music is a by-product of the overly-feminized society we live in.

Remember grunge? At least those skinny white boys weren't afraid to get in yer face and let you have it. It seems now, the same generation of white boys have lost their balls. Guys like Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley at least burned bright while they were here. They weren't afraid to show their anger and angst in their music. Whereas these singers now...just seem passified, is that a word?

in days gone past, guys didn't learn to harness their testosterone until well into their twenties. Nowadays though, any sort of aggression or masculine behavior is quickly snubbed out in the classrooms and homes in our western culture as feminism asserts itself on young males and impresses itself on young females. So I think this new generation of "rockers" has been conditioned to be more passive and feminine.


(Antony Hegarty, Lead singer of Antony & The Johnsons)

Indie music, as a genre, and it's toned-down, tamed, un-offensiveness is a direct reflection of the emasculation that feminism has achieved in young males. It's like every Indie band is a slightly different version of Bright Eyes. A castrated male plea to society. And the message indie music is sending is "I'm sensitive, I understand you, I'm aware of the harm men have done to women and the harm men have done to our environment".

My only point was that, as a result of the feminist movement, men in general have been emasculated and this is reflected in the music of our generation. Indie music, is a perfect example of this. Further, indie music, as a genre, is no longer relegated to the underground scene but has now moved into the mainstream. Masculinity and femininity are foreign concepts now, unidentifiable. And this is what I see in indie music.

Peter Frampton's music represents masculinity, that which is distinctly male. With his music he doesn't apologize for being a man, rather with it he embraces and expresses what it is to be a man. Unapologetic sexuality, the desire to conquer whatever he wants to conquer, non-accountability to the establishment. By "establishment" I mean government, feminism, liberalism or any movement or structure that would attempt to strip him of his masculinity.

To be a man is to be your own master. You don't answer to a bureaucracy and you certainly don't answer to women. To be masculine is to be the dominant one, the leader, the initiator, assertive, without fear of confrontation. Basically, the exact opposite of everything that indie music represents. Thus, indie music has been emasculated and now represents the traits of femininity rather than masculinity. Indie songs are always about how guys are in touch with the issues, especially those of women and the environment.


If you think the feminist movement is nothing more than women seeking equal rights, you're exceedingly naive. The feminist movement is THE prominent, all-encompassing philosophy of our society. The feminist movement brainwashes women into believing that they don't need men, that men are pigs and worth nothing more than servants with one task; to give women what they are entitled to. Which leads me to the sense of entitlement that feminism instills in women. Under the feminist philosophy, every woman deserves a perfect man, a perfect job, a perfect life, etc. and isn't required to do anything in order to earn these things.

Under the feminist movement, that reared its ugly head along with the abortion/eugenics movement, women are taught that nothing is more important than "ME". So women abort their babies because the babies are an inconvenience to them, they stick their infants in daycare because their job comes first and they divorce their husbands because he doesn't make them happy.


(Animal Collectivee posing nude, something clearly effeminate)

For the young males, the lines have been blurred, all but erased as to what it means to be a man and what those traits are that distinguish men from women. The people on this site, of whom most assuredly are all young males between the ages of 18-35, haven't the foggiest idea about what masculinity is, further, they misinterpret it as chauvinism, sexism and ignorance. They have proven my point that males have been brainwashed along with the females by the feminist/liberal movement.

Don't get me wrong, I like indie music. In fact, most of what I listened to is considered indie. But that's where the emasculation stops for me. Thankfully I have a dad who grew up pre-feminist era and he instilled in me a proper understanding of what it means to be a man.

I feel sorry for males that grow up without guidance from their dads, a role model to show a man how to be a man. But the fact is, that's the way most guys grow up. Most dads nowadays are already ruined, castrated by the feminist movement. Now that women have invaded the workplace and every other aspect of our society, men have become nothing more than accessories, even hindrances. Everything that was masculine has been removed, replaced with an asexual/feminine quality.

One need only take a look at the men, and I use that term very loosely, that are in most of these indie bands. They are weak, skinny, effeminate humans. Like I said earlier, it's almost like they're ashamed of being men. They are afraid they might offend someone by showing any masculine traits. And their songs reflect this. I can't be the only one who notices this.

Media portrays men as weak, unimportant buffoons, and that's what they've become. Look at how many tv shows and movies mock men, with characters that are constantly apologizing for being men. Music is no different, especially indie.

RadioheadLady GaGaMuseThe KillersBat for LashesNickelbackLa RouxSlipknotEminemChuck BerryThe CureBikini KillLe TigreSleater-KinneyOwl CityKanye WestCunninLynguistsSuper Furry AnimalsElvis PresleyBuddy HollyDaft Punk

Albums:

1. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
2. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
4. CunninLynguists - Strange Journey Vol. 1
5. J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid
6. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2
7. N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo
8. Condo Fucks - Fuckbook
9. Felt - Vol 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez
10. Oh No - Ethiopium

Songs:

1. N.A.S.A. - Way Down (feat. RZA, Barbie Hatch & John Frusciante)
2. Yo La Tengo - Here to fall
3. Karen O and the Kids - Hideaway
4. Mos Def - Life In Marvelous Times
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Dull Life
6. Metric - Help I'm Alive
7. Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers
8. CunninLynguists - Georgia (Remix)
9. MF DOOM - Gazzillion Ear
10. Modest Mouse - The Whale Song

This has been a pretty good year for music. There are still a few albums/mixtapes I need to check out, like the latest tape from Pill, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self-titled album, Freeway's "The Beat Made Me Do It," Dirty Projectors' joint and The Flaming Lips' Embryonic. So without further ado, here are my 25 favorite albums of 2009.

In alphabetical order...

50 Cent - Forever King



Like 50's stellar 2008 mixtape, "Sincerely Yours, Southside", Forever King finds 50 rapping over classic R&B tracks including Christopher Williams' I'm Dreamin' and Case's Touch Me, Tease Me. There's also a couple of original tracks included, but the R&B remakes are the real gems.

Best Track: Get The Money

Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind



A dark, lush and amazing follow up to their vibrant masterpiece.

Best Track: What Would I Want? Sky

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion



What can I say about this album that hasn't been already said? MPP has pretty much dominated my last.fm charts and I have yet to get tired of it. Easily my favorite album of 2009.

Best Track: Brother Sport

Atlas Sound - Logos



Best Track: Walkabout [w/ Noah Lennox]

Bon Iver - Blood Bank


The man who put out the most soulful album of 2008 is back with more on this amazing EP. Woods is the real standout here which has Bon singing layered Auto-Tuned vocals.

Best Track: Woods

CunninLynguists - Strange Journey Volume Two



This album made me a fan.

Best Track: The Park (Blue Sky Black Death Remix)

The-Dream - Love vs. Money



The-Dream does it again. It's quite an accomplishment to make an album where damn near every song could be a single and still maintain consistency through the end.

Best Track: Walkin' On The Moon

DJ Quik & Kurupt - Blaqkout



In an era where rap vets are trying hard to fit in (see Jay-Z and Blueprint 3 for example), DJ Quik and Kurupt do their best to stand out on this experimental rap record.

Best Track: Do You Know

Eminem - Relapse



This album is included purely because of how great of a technical rapper Em is.

Best Track: Insane

Freddie Gibbs - midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik



Best Track: Country Bounce

G-Side - Huntsville International



Maybe the most underrated rap album of 2009.

Best Track: Paradise

Gucci Mane - Writing On The Wall



Best Track: Perfect Diamonds

Keri Hilson - In A Perfect World



Best Track: Knock You Down

Late Night Fruit - The Fruit EP



15 minutes of awesome soul-based hip hop instrumentals.
You can download this on their MySpace for free.
http://www.myspace.com/latenightfruit

Lil Wayne - No Ceilings



This is no Drought 3 or Dedication 2, but it's still pretty good.

Best Track: Swag Surfin'

Little Dragon - Machine Dreams



Best Track: Blinking Pigs

Matt & Kim - Grand



Best Track: Daylight

Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night



Best Track: Pretty Wings

Nocando - The Patient EP



Project Blowed's own came through with a surprisingly great (and free) EP. Inventive production. Great lyrics. What more could you want?

Playboy Tre - Liquor Store Mascot


Another great mixtape/album from Tre available for free download.

Best Track: If This World Was Mine

Real Estate - Real Estate



Best Track: Snow Days

Stanza - Do Not Listen


Great rapper with a great ear for beats. You can download this at Stanza's official website for free.

Best Track: A Town Love

UGK - UGK 4 Life



Best Track: Da Game Been Good To Me

The xx - xx



Best Track: Intro

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz



YYY's call on David Stiek from TV on the Radio to help them re-invent themselves once again on this electronic influenced effort.

Best Track: Zero

Obligatory sentence that expresses disgust, disdain and disapproval of shitty shit shit music released this year.

To be perfectly honest, though, I wanna say there was a boatload of great shit that came out this year, but I'm not too sure anymore. Still, teh shit that I did enjoy, I enjoyed a whole fucking lot. Like, teh artists who came through with dope shit came with that front-to-back album chock-full-of-goodness type dope shit.

So, while this edition of teh Year in Review continues in teh tradition of having only two categories, I suppose some elaboration on teh uber-favourites will offer some insight into teh dopeness of teh dopeness.


ZOMG DIS IZ LYKE SOOOOO FULL OV TEH AWESOME!

Dam-Funk - Toeachizown
A crazy mix of some dope soul/space/funk shit, Toeachizown demands you to roll up and blaze to it for the entire two hours.

Electric Wire Hustle - Electric Wire Hustle
Now this is what (post-?)(modern-?)neo-soul should sound like, yes?

Exile - Radio
A great achievement in instrumental music, Exile displays his mastery of the MPC and his incredible ear for samples.

Fashawn - Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World is almost like a loose sequel to Blu & Exile's Below the Heavens. Almost. Regardless of teh comparisons, what's important is taht Fash kills it, and Exile comes thru with some serious heat.

J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid
Yup, obvious inclusion of Dilla is obvious. I don't give a fuck. The beats bang, the features bang, so that's that.

Little Dragon - Machine Dreams
A little more dancy and upbeat than their debut, Machine Dreams maintains teh atmospheric beauty of their sound while pounding even moar synth-heavy goodness without ever missing a beat. And ZOMG, seeing Yukimi and teh gang perform live was just epic.

Madlib - Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6
BKvol5-6 gets a mention here because I actually officially copped the shit in 2009, even though I loved the hell out of teh leak in 2008.

Metric - Fantasies
This is far and away my favourite Metric album. Everything about it is So Succexy.

Mos Def - The Ecstatic
The Mighty Mos' take on DOOM's model of music making shows him in top form. Casa Bey is that crack. Not to mention the Ruler's cameo appearance is worth the price of admission alone.

Nicolay - City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya
Genre-bending seems to be name of the game for my favourite crew of musicians, The Foreign Exchange. Whatever teh classification, this album is perfect for any time of day no matter where you might find, or lose, yourself.

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II
Though rap album sequels are generally fail, Raekwon does not disappoint on this one. In fact, this album is an amazing follow up to teh O.G., banging beats and crazy ill drug raps ftw. I needs the instrumental to Surgical Gloves in my life.

Robert Glasper - Double Booked
Dope jazz? Check. Dope hip-hop fusion with jazz? ZOMG. Though admittedly, I'm not always in teh mood for straight up jazz shit, this album cannot be denied.

(Also, I absolutely HATE that Robert Glasper's collabo with Bilal is pitted against The Foreign Exchange's Daykeeper in teh Grammies. Like, DAMN.)

The Roots - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Sandwiches EP
Only 22 of 1000, but fuggit -- these free! goodies from The Legendary show that quality and diversity do not have to compromise. Hopefully that new Roots album will not be postponed anymoar.

Slug & Murs - Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez
Sluggo and MURS got a whole album produced by.. Aesop muthafuckin' Rock? Wait, wat? Though 22 tracks may be a bit overkill, these dudes did the damn thing. Again, the instros to this shit would be oh so good, cuz Aes done brought that BASS FO' YO' TRUNK.

Tanya Morgan - Brooklynati
I really really really liked this album, really. All iller and no filler, teh TM crew shine. Prime example of how an album of front-to-back dopeness could and should be made.

Zo! - ...just visiting too
Yet moar amazing covers from The Foreign Exchange crew. Zo! & 'em Love the 90's? I hope so.


Yes, this is also good.

14KT - Nowalataz
Atmosphere - Leak at Will
BK-One - Radio do Canibal
Blakroc - Blakroc
Blame One - Days Chasing Days
Blockhead - The Music Scene
Blueprint - Sign Language
Brother Ali - The Truth Is Here EP
Brother Ali - Us
Camp Lo - Stone and Rob: Caught on Tape
Clutchy Hopkins - Music is My Medicine
CunninLynguists - Strange Journey Volume One
CunninLynguists - Strange Journey Volume Two
Definitive Jux Presents IV
Diamond District - In the Ruff
DJ Spinna - Sonic Smash
Doom - Born Like This
Elzhi - The Leftovers Unmixedtape
Freeway - The Beat Made Me Do It
The Gift of Gab - Escape 2 Mars
Greenhouse - Electric Purgatory Part One
Hudson Mohawke - Butter
Jay Are - The 1960's Jazz Revolution Again
John Mayer - Battle Studies
k-os - Yes!
Kam Moye - Splitting Image
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
Method Man & Redman - Blackout! 2
Mr. Scruff - Bonus Bait
Oddisee - Mental Liberation
Oddisee - Odd Summer EP
Oddisee - Odd Autumn
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Passion Pit - Manners
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
PPP - Abundance
Prefuse 73 - Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian
Sa-Ra Creative Partners - Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love
Sean Price - Kimbo Price
Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins - Fascinating Fingers
Skyzoo - The Salvation
Slum Village - Villa Manifesto EP
Strong Arm Steady - In Search of Stoney Jackson
Termanology - If Heaven Was A Mile Away
The xx - The XX
Yu - Before Taxes
Zo! & Asylum 7 - Overdue Process

I've thought long and hard about this list, and I think this is an accurate picture of how I feel. I made a metal and non-metal list, since I listen to a lot of metal but a lot of people don't, and an overall list. This is by no means accurate and reflects only my opinion and enjoyment of the records. All of these records are very good, and I recommend checking them out, especially any bands you haven't heard of.
Non Metal
2000-Godspeed You Black Emperor-Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
2001-Saul Williams-Amethyst Rock Star
2002-Nine Inch Nails-Still
2003-Denali-The Instinct
2004-65daysofstatic-The Fall Of Math
2005-CunninLynguists-A Piece Of Strange
2006-Clint Mansell-The Fountain OST
2007-Daft Punk-Alive 2007
2008-Thrice-The Alchemy Index Vol III+IV
2009-Mastodon-Crack The Skye
2000's-65daysofstatic-The Fall Of Math

Metal
2000-Thorns-Thorns
2001-Converge-Jane Doe
2002-Dillinger Escape Plan-Irony Is A Dead Scene
2003-The Number 12 Looks Like You-Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses
2004-Neurosis-The Eye Of Every Storm
2005-Burst-Origo
2006-All Shall Perish-The Price Of Existence
2007-Between the Buried and Me-Colors
2008-Genghis Tron-Board Up The House
2009-Anaal Nathrakh-In The Constellation Of The Black Widow
2000's-Converge-Jane Doe

Overall

2000-Godspeed You! Black Emperor-Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
2001-Converge-Jane Doe
2002-Nine Inch Nails-Still
2003-Circle Takes the Square-As The Roots Undo
2004-65daysofstatic-The Fall Of Math
2005-CunninLynguists-A Piece Of Strange
2006-Clint Mansell-The Fountain OST
2007-Between the Buried and Me-Colors
2008-Thrice-The Alchemy Index Vol III+IV
2009-Anaal Nathrakh-In The Constellation Of The Black Widow
2000's-Converge-Jane Doe
Honorable Mentions:
Sufjan Stevens-Illinois
Wolves in the Throne Room-Two Hunters
Darkest Hour-Undoing Ruin
Catharsis-Passion
Venetian Snares-Rossz csillag alatt született

1. Nosaj Thing- Drift




2. CunninLynguists- Strange Journey Volume Two




3. CunninLynguists- Strange Journey Volume One




4. Mos Def- The Ecstatic




5. Diamond District- In The Ruff




6. Dorian Concept- When Planets Explode




7. Dizzee Rascal- Tongue N' Cheek



8. Big Twins- The Project Kid




9. Kid Cudi- Man On The Moon: The End of The Day




10. Jay-Z- The Blueprint 3




11. KRS-One & Buckshot- Survival Skills




12. Q-Tip- Kamaal The Abtract




13. Brother Ali- Us




14. La Coka Nostra- A Brand You Can Trust




15. Just Jack- All Night Cinema