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Aesop Rock - Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives

Artist: Aesop Rock
Title: Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives
Year: 2005
Rating: ***
Notes: I was really disappointed in this EP from my favorite hip-hop artist. Aesop Rock seems to have finally submitted to the genre of hip-hop. While his first two albums could barely be called hip-hop because their style was so fresh and unique, this one wants to be called Underground hip-hop, which, while not mainstream, has a prescribed formula. That alone wouldn't necessarily be so terrible, but it feels like Aesop Rock just ran out of things to say. This disc sounds forced, whereas his previous songs were so interesting to listen to. The saving grace of this disc is that it includes an 88-page booklet with the lyrics to all of his albums, which reads like poetry.

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Aesop Rock - Labor Days

Artist: Aesop Rock
Title: Labor Days
Year: 2001
Rating: *****
Notes: Aesop Rock slowly became my favorite hip-hop artist. His style and lyrics are unlike anything else that I've heard in hip-hop. First of all, he's ego-less; he's a story teller rather than a braggart. His flow is fast, complex, and full of allusions. And it's not as if he's just trying to be different from other rappers, what's interesting about Aesop Rock is not that he's breaking the "rules" of hip-hop, but that he seems to be totally unaware of them in the first place. I also recommend his previous album, Float.

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Air - Moon Safari

Artist: Air
Title: Moon Safari
Year: 1998
Rating: ****
Notes: I'd been wanting to get this cd for a long time and I finally got around to picking up a used copy. Some of the early tracks on this disc make great mood music, sparse, yet heavy. When this disc came out, I don't think there was anything out there like it.

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Basement Jaxx - Rooty

Artist: Basement Jaxx
Title: Rooty
Year: 2001
Rating: ****
Notes: One of the craziest, most unpredictable discs I own, but also a real gem. It really hits the spot when I'm in the right mood. Very carefree and high-energy.

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Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

Artist: Beastie Boys
Title: Paul's Boutique
Year: 1989
Rating: *****
Notes: This is my favorite Beastie Boys album. Primarily because of how pure it is in its creativity. After the wave of success of "License to Ill", the Beastie Boys moved from New York to L.A. and this disc reflects the changes in their environment and personality that resulted. It's such a funky hybrid of New York and L.A. styles that it really doesn't sound like anything else, by the Beastie Boys or anyone else. I think that's why it was kind of written off initially. But for me (backed-up by other reviews) its genius becomes more evident with each listen.

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Beastie Boys - The In Sound From Way Out

Artist: Beastie Boys
Title: The In Sound From Way Out
Year: 1996
Rating: *****
Notes: All instrumental tracks. A super-funky CD to drive or work to.

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Ben Harper - Fight for Your Mind

Artist: Ben Harper
Title: Fight for Your Mind
Year: 1995
Rating: *****
Notes: I bought this CD on a whim after hearing one song that I heard through my dorm room window one day. I have subsequently bought most of Ben Harper's other CDs, although this one remains my favorite. I think it's a perfect balance of polished and raw sound. I think the song writing is especially good as well.

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Blackalicious - Nia

Artist: Blackalicious
Title: Nia
Year: 2000
Rating: ****½
Notes: A very intelligent hip-hop album, that's also fun and funky. Gift of Gab's lyrical and vocal abilities are stellar and there are plenty of really great beats. One of my favorite hip-hop albums.

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Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Artist: Bob Dylan
Title: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Year: 1963
Rating: ****½
Notes: This is Bob Dylan's second album, and definitely one of my favorites. The songs are unpretentious, folky, and free. Some are silly, others quite serious. I think this album has more folk roots and shows more of a Woody Guthrie influence than his later ones, and it's nice to get a glimpse of what songs sounded like before rock n' roll.

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Cassius - 15 Again

Artist: Cassius
Title: 15 Again
Year: 2006
Rating: ***½
Notes: I had been waiting eagerly for a new album from Cassius, so I was very excited to hear that one was coming out in September. Since they're French, I wasn't surprised that it wasn't in stores here the day that it was released there. But I became increasingly frustrated that I couldn't find it, eventually deciding that it wasn't going to be released in the U.S. Fortunately, I live close to an Amoeba Music, and I found an imported French copy. After all that work, my anticipation had built up quite a bit, given my enthusiasm for their first two albums ("1999" and "Au Reve"). Sadly, I was quickly disappointed by the hit-or-miss tracks on this disc. The first song, "Toop Toop", is quite good, probably my favorite. There are some other songs that are either enjoyable or at least really interesting. But many are repetitive, uninspired, and/or unoriginal. It's possible that this disc will grow on me over time, as their second album did, but my initial reactions to their previous CDs were much more positive, so I'm not too optimistic. Oh well, it's still worth it for the few "winners" on this disc.

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Cassius - 1999

Artist: Cassius
Title: 1999
Year: 1999
Rating: *****
Notes: I never get sick of this disc. I discovered Cassius when I lived in The Netherlands (the band is French though). Nobody seems to have ever heard of them over here, but this is some of the finest and most fun House music I've ever heard.

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Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman

Artist: Cibo Matto
Title: Viva! La Woman
Year: 1996
Rating: *****
Notes: Two wacky Japanese women, living in New York, writing songs with lots of food metaphors. It's hard to compare this disc to anything else, which is a treat. If it were just novel, it would be a lot more forgettable, but it's very enjoyable too and suits any kind of quirky or playful mood.

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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Artist: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Title: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Year: 2005
Rating: ***½
Notes: I heard some very positive things about this group on KCRW, plus their name is fantastic. I think it's a little bit whiny in general, but it's quite original and some of the tracks have a nice air of hopefullness in them.

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Common - Be

Artist: Common
Title: Be
Year: 2005
Rating: ***½
Notes: I really wanted to like this CD, and I do like it, but it's not all that I hoped it would be. There aren't any tracks on this disc that really grab me. The overall quality of the beats and lyrics is good, but overall they're not very deep or rich. I also don't really like the appearances by Kanye West (whose album "The College Dropout" I really enjoyed), they seem to interrupt just when Common is starting to get going. My favorite track is the brief intro - I wish all of the tracks had the same feel and level of solid lyrical flow. I recommend his 2000 release "Like Water for Chocolate" instead. It's similar in feel, but unlike "Be", it has some real stand-out tracks.

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Curtis Mayfield - The Very Best of Curtis Mayfield

Artist: Curtis Mayfield
Title: The Very Best of Curtis Mayfield
Year: 1996
Rating: ****
Notes: This disc has some great highlights, in particular the songs he did for the movie "Superfly." Some of the tracks are a little too sappy for me, but for the most part, Mayfield's union of funk and soul generates a classic sound.

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D'Angelo - Voodoo

Artist: D'Angelo
Title: Voodoo
Year: 2000
Rating: ****½
Notes: This album took a while to grow on me. It's very different from "Brown Sugar" - more complex, deeper. Even more soulful than its bedroom music predecessor, perhaps. It's sparse at times, and mostly has a very measured pace, which is part of the reason why it's not very striking at first. But after five or 10 listens, the grace and intelligence of it starts to appear. It's very unique, I don't have anything else in my library like it, which is another reason why I value this disc so much.

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DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

Artist: DJ Shadow
Title: Endtroducing
Year: 1996
Rating: *****
Notes: This disc defined a new vision of what DJ music can be.

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Daft Punk - Homework

Artist: Daft Punk
Title: Homework
Year: 1997
Rating: ****
Notes: This disc is a classic. It's top-notch techno-funk, although many of the tracks are skipable due to their monotony.

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Daft Punk - Human After All

Artist: Daft Punk
Title: Human After All
Year: 2005
Rating: ***
Notes: The track "Robot Rock" totally rules, but there's not a whole lot else to get into on this disc.

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Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask

Artist: Danger Doom
Title: The Mouse and the Mask
Year: 2005
Rating: ****½
Notes: This disc really grew on me. It plays very well as a complete disc (unlike another Danger Mouse project, Gnarls Barkley). The rapping is solid and the beats are clean and never annoying. The mood is light, and the energy is never too much or too little. I would have guessed that guest appearances by characters from Cartoon Network Adult Swim shows would detract from the album, but this unlikely pairing of rap music and cartoons brings a playfulness that is rather refreshing. The second half of the disc isn't quite as strong as the first, but, overall this disc is a quality production that's unique enough to stand out from anything that resembles it.

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Danger Mouse - The Grey Album

Artist: Danger Mouse
Title: The Grey Album
Year: 2004
Rating: ***½
Notes: This blend of Beatles music and Jay-Z vocals is definitely novel. At best it is even enjoyable, like on "What More Can I Say" and "December 4th", but there are a number of tracks that just don't work. The effort is certainly commendable though.

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Easy Star All-Stars - Radiodread

Artist: Easy Star All-Stars
Title: Radiodread
Year: 2006
Rating: ****
Notes: I know, the concept of a reggae tribute to Radiohead's "OK Computer" doesn't really seem like it would work. On some tracks it doesn't. But the several good and few great tracks make this a nice pick-up. In particular, Toots and the Maytals singing Thom Yorke on "Let Down" really works, even though there's a juxtaposition between the feel-good reggae vibe and, well, Radiohead. "Electioneering" isn't one of the most memorable tracks on the original "OK Computer", but the reggae interpretation here is really tight and manages to come off as serious and heavy enough. Part of the reason I give this disc four stars is through association, since the songs all resemble the originals enough to make you think that you are listening to "OK Computer" at times. If this was a cover of a lesser album, my rating might not have been as high.

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Fatboy Slim - Palookaville

Artist: Fatboy Slim
Title: Palookaville
Year: 2004
Rating: ****
Notes: This isn't my favorite Fatboy Slim CD, but it's nearly as good as his previous two. In typical Fatboy Slim style, the song styles are varied, but they all have the same kind of signature quirkiness that you don't get with any other artist. I especially enjoy Bootsy Collins covering "The Joker" as the final, encore-like track.

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Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers

Artist: Fountains of Wayne
Title: Welcome Interstate Managers
Year: 2003
Rating: *****
Notes: Excellent whimsical songwriting makes this disc enjoyable every time you listen to it.

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Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

Artist: Gnarls Barkley
Title: St. Elsewhere
Year: 2006
Rating: ****
Notes: Another funky release from Danger Mouse (producer of "The Grey Album"; this time collaborating with Cee-Lo Green of Goodie Mob), this disc grabbed me with its genre-busting sounds. I was surprised at the track-to-track variety on first listen, which made it difficult to get into. At times, I think they're having a bit too much fun not being tied to any specific sound, free-wheeling and experimenting at the expense of listening enjoyment. But, when it works, it really works. Songs like "Smiley Faces", "Crazy", and "The Last Time" are varied and fun, and can be listened to over and over again without getting stale. I think that in most cases I'll be playing individual tracks on this disc, rather than listening to it straight through.

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Gorillaz - Demon Days

Artist: Gorillaz
Title: Demon Days
Year: 2005
Rating: ****
Notes: This disc is a lot of fun. In short, it rules.

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Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys

Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Title: Band of Gypsys
Year: 1970
Rating: *****
Notes: Hearing Jimi Hendrix wail like this in this awesome live New Year's Eve performance at the Fillmore East really defines his true allure to me. His album songs are great, but he's so free and "on" here that, for me, nothing else can compare to this performance.

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Jimmy Smith - Root Down

Artist: Jimmy Smith
Title: Root Down
Year: 1972
Rating: ****½
Notes: The Beastie Boys were really on to something when they sampled the title track to this disc. The gooves here are definitely worth hearing in their entirety.

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Jimmy Smith - The Sermon!

Artist: Jimmy Smith
Title: The Sermon!
Year: 1958
Rating: ****½
Notes: The title track on this CD is some of the finest straight-ahead jazz I've ever heard.

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Kaskade - House of Om: Kaskade

Artist: Kaskade
Title: House of Om: Kaskade
Year: 2005
Rating: ****
Notes: I usually don't like these dance compilation CDs, but I took a chance on this one and it worked out pretty well. I didn't get that the "house" in "House of Om" refered to House music when I got it, I thought it was just supposed to make it sound cool. Of all the electronic dance styles, House is probably my favorite, so I lucked out. This is a great CD for driving. It may be good for dance parties too, but I don't have many of those, so I doubt I'll get a chance to find out.

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Led Zeppelin - III

Artist: Led Zeppelin
Title: III
Year: 1970
Rating: ****½
Notes: Nobody is too cool for Led Zeppelin. "Since I've Been Loving You" is a perfect Rock and Blues partnership, and tracks like "Tangerine" and "That's the Way" mellow the disc out nicely.

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Martina Topley-Bird - Anything

Artist: Martina Topley-Bird
Title: Anything
Year: 2004
Rating: ****
Notes: I used to be really into Tricky, but then his albums started getting too weird for me. I heard that the woman who sang backup and often lead vocals for the two albums of his that I had was coming out with a CD of her own. I really liked her voice and imagined that her sound would be at least somewhat Tricky-esque. I was right. Her songs are pretty, yet have a gritty quality to them that makes them stand out.

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Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News

Artist: Modest Mouse
Title: Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Year: 2004
Rating: ***½
Notes: I don't really have any other CDs like this one. I guess it's not really my style of music, but it's very well done, which is probably why I bought it and enjoy it. For me though, it really peaks at the second and third tracks and never hits that height again. But those two tracks ("The World at Large" and "Float On") are really great. Who knows, maybe the rest of the disc will grow on me; I keep waiting for/expecting it to.

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Mos Def & Talib Kweli - Black Star

Artist: Mos Def & Talib Kweli
Title: Black Star
Year: 1998
Rating: *****
Notes: Y'know how some albums are really unified - like they just have a consistent, quality feel throughout? Well, this is one of those albums. It seems to be the product of a very clear vision and its understatedness shows this. It's solid from top to bottom, there's a real "in the zone" feel about it. It's also interesting to listen to, the beats are neither too sparse nor too overpowering. Only the guest performances and lazy beat on "Twice Inna Lifetime" mar this near-perfect contribution to Hip Hop.

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Outkast - Big Boi and Dre Present...Outkast

Artist: Outkast
Title: Big Boi and Dre Present...Outkast
Year: 2001
Rating: *****
Notes: Not much to say about this "best-of" except that it's great. Put this disc in and you'll be feeling good within the first minute (skip the intro). Their style is so fresh (and so clean) that nothing but another Outkast album can take the place of this disc.

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People Under the Stairs - O.S.T.

Artist: People Under the Stairs
Title: O.S.T.
Year: 2002
Rating: ****½
Notes: Wow, how did I miss this disc when it came out in 2002? I had heard of People Under the Stairs (I'm not crazy about the name, their music sounds nothing like that creepy horror movie of the same name), but never checked them out. This disc is fantastic! Laid-back Cali hip-hop at its finest, truly. The beats, particularly on "Empty Bottles of Water" and "The Breakdown", are mad groovy and made for head-bobbin'.

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Quantic Soul Orchestra - Pushin On

Artist: Quantic Soul Orchestra
Title: Pushin On
Year: 2005
Rating: ***½
Notes: This disc sounds like James Brown's band. I can't quite figure out why it doesn't really do it for me though. Maybe it's the absence of a charasmatic, Brown-like lead singer or the lack of an innovative sound, but this CD doesn't get me juiced up like listening to James Brown does. There's a lot of funk going on, but somehow not enough energy. A good disc for background music at a party for sure though.

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Quasimoto - The Further Adventures of Lord Quas

Artist: Quasimoto
Title: The Further Adventures of Lord Quas
Year: 2005
Rating: ***½
Notes: This disc might be a little too out there for me. The beats are very choppy and the tracks never seem to settle into any kind of groove. But it is clearly imaginative and dynamic. The track "Raw Addict, pt. 2" is phenomenal, I only wish that it would go on longer. I have a feeling that this disc might really grow on me...

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Quasimoto - The Unseen [Instrumentals]

Artist: Quasimoto
Title: The Unseen [Instrumentals]
Year: 2001
Rating: ****½
Notes: I don't remember when or how I heard of Quasimoto (although I seem to recall purchasing this CD at Amoeba in Berkeley). This is a disc of great instrumental hip-hop. It's very dynamic and interesting to listen to, much less background music than you would imagine, even though it's just beats. The tracks are mostly short, so they usually end before they become monotonous. By the way, Quasimoto is the alter-ego of the rapper and producer Madlib.

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Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby - Original Jam Sessions 1969

Artist: Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby
Title: Original Jam Sessions 1969
Year: 2004
Rating: ****
Notes: With song titles like "Groovy Gravy" and "Jive Den", you know it's gotta be funky. The highlight for me though is Bill Cosby freestylin' over a tasty groove on "Hikky-Burr". A brief appearance by Jimmy Smith is welcome, it's too bad that he only plays on one short track. Some of the tracks in the middle of the disc are good, but not great.

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Rob Swift - Soulful Fruit

Artist: Rob Swift
Title: Soulful Fruit
Year: 1997
Rating: ***½
Notes: I typically don't like turntablism (too much scratching and stopping and starting, not rhythmic enough), but I saw this disc in a bargain bin recently and figured it was worth 4 bucks to see if it was any good. Plus, I've heard of Rob Swift and got the feeling that he was pretty well-respected in DJ circles. Turns out I guessed right as this is a pretty enjoyable (though a bit too "turntablistic" at times) disc. Lots of nice hip-hop beats and overall smoother than I had expected.

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Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me

Artist: Roots Manuva
Title: Run Come Save Me
Year: 2001
Rating: ***
Notes: I heard that this CD almost won the UK's Mercury Prize (one of the most prestigious awards for music in the UK), and I really liked his brief appearance on the new Gorillaz CD, but this disc sounds like standard American hip-hop fare to me. It may be one of the few British CDs that could be mistaken for American rap, but I don't think that's necessarily something to aspire to.

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Smokey & Miho - Two EP's

Artist: Smokey & Miho
Title: Two EP's
Year: 2003
Rating: ****
Notes: A side project of Cibo Matto singer Miho Hatori, this CD is surprising in its strict adherence to the sound of Latin jazz. It is soothing, serene, and sounds nothing like the work of Hartori in an ealier side project, Butter 08 (although I'm quite smitten with both projects).

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St. Germain - Tourist

Artist: St. Germain
Title: Tourist
Year: 2000
Rating: *****
Notes: This is unquestionably a 5-star CD for me. The infusion of house music into high-tempo jazz is a perfect fit. One (among many) of the highlights is "Sure Thing", in which they sample a track from a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between Miles Davis and John Lee Hooker from the soundtrack to an obscure Don Johnson movie - "The Hot Spot" (surprisingly, the original track from the soundtrack is not very good at all, which is even more of a credit to St. Germain). "Rose Rouge" is another sure-fire winner on this disc.

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Stan Getz/João Gilberto

Artist: Stan Getz/João Gilberto
Title: Getz/Gilberto
Year: 1964
Rating: ****½
Notes: I can't imagine that there is a better dinner party CD than this one. The cool, jazzy, bossa nova sounds are enchanting. Actually, I can't really think of a time or place that this disc wouldn't be welcomed.

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Talib Kweli & Hi Tek - Reflection Eternal

Artist: Talib Kweli & Hi Tek
Title: Reflection Eternal
Year: 2000
Rating: ****½
Notes: I heard Jay-Z say that his favorite album that he had done was "Reasonable Doubt", his first. He said that you spend your whole life collecting material for your first album, and only a year or two for subsequent albums. I think this notion applies to Talib Kweli's first album, which doesn't feel forced or empty in any way. It's no masterpiece, but it's mostly solid from start to finish. Many of the tracks are intimate and DJ Hi-Tek does a good job of matching the music to the lyrics, avoiding over-the-top hooks. This is an album that is enjoyable each time you listen to it because it has substance, even though it's not overwhelming the first time you listen to it.

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The Roots - Phrenology

Artist: The Roots
Title: Phrenology
Year: 2002
Rating: ****½
Notes: The Roots' claim to fame is that they are a (and possibly the only) "Hip-Hop band". They rap over live instruments, which gives their music a distinctly different feel than other hip-hop (and makes for a phenomenal live performance). I've always really dug that about The Roots and have been waiting for my passion for their music to catch up to my passion for what they're all about. I recently heard a new song on the radio and decided to put this disc in again after a year or so of being on the shelf. It was fantastic. The energy is incredible, and the mix of rock and rap is unique and, beyond that, enjoyable. I don't think it will be another year until I play this disc again now that I've re-discovered it.

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The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free

Artist: The Streets
Title: A Grand Don't Come for Free
Year: 2004
Rating: ****½
Notes: This disc really grew on me. It's the kind of CD that gets more enjoyable the more you listen to it. There's a storyline in it, which isn't all that interesting in and of itself, but the way that Mike Skinner (who is The Streets) tells it makes it very intimate and intruiging. He is so informal and open with the audience that you can't help getting attached to him, which makes the disc more emotional than you would expect. This all culminates in the final track, "Empty Cans", which is very tender and even inspiring.

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The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

Artist: The White Stripes
Title: Get Behind Me Satan
Year: 2005
Rating: ****
Notes: Uncomplicated rock-n-roll. Good stuff.

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Thievery Corporation - Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi

Artist: Thievery Corporation
Title: Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi
Year: 1997
Rating: ****½
Notes: I used to listen to this online radio station that introduced me to downtempo electronica. One of the artists they played a lot was Thievery Corporation and I got really into them. This is their first CD and the first one I bought. It's a little more varied than their subsequent discs and I like that. Great music for a late-night party.

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Timo Maas - Pictures

Artist: Timo Maas
Title: Pictures
Year: 2005
Rating: ***½
Notes: Considering that this CD is mostly Trance music, which isn't really my cup of tea, I kind of dig it. It's not repetetive and the music and sounds are interesting and dynamic. However, it's pretty dark and many of the tracks seems to come from the Id, which makes it rather heavy at times.

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Various Artists - Rawkus Records: Best of Decade I (1995-2005)

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Rawkus Records: Best of Decade I (1995-2005)
Year: 2005
Rating: ****½
Notes: This disc was on my wish list for a long time. It's a compilation of songs from Rawkus Records (or, you could say, Mos Def, since he appears on about half of them), most of which I already own through the originating CDs. I thought it might be nice to have them all together on one disc so I pondered this purchase for a long while. The other day I saw it for six bucks at Amoeba and that sealed the deal. The final track, "B-Boy Document '99", is fresh enough to justify buying an album otherwise mostly filled with songs that I already have.

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Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One

Artist: Yo La Tengo
Title: I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Year: 1997
Rating: ****½
Notes: Like Modest Mouse, Yo La Tengo doesn't really fit my style of music. But unlike Modest Mouse, I truly love Yo La Tengo. They have an intimacy and romanticism that is very rare. I imagine that it has something to do with how close the members are with each other (two of the members are married to each other). The songs on this disc range from sweet to playful to contemplative, with a little bit of rockin' thrown in from time to time.

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