December 2010 Archives

It was a year that marked the return of the singer-songwriter, highlighted the enduring power of worship and showcased the community that is the foundation of the Christian/gospel genres. Those who earned top honors did more than just make music; they raised the bar and pointed the way for those who will follow. Dave Barnes created a faith-filled pop collection that would be at home almost anywhere on the radio dial, while Jars of Clay and Matthew West forged community in new ways. TobyMac continued to defy the laws of gravity and aging, proving to be this genre’s (much funkier) Dick Clark, and Mavis Staples reminded us of our strong gospel roots. Through it all rock remained strong, newcomers found their place and Passion staples like Chris Tomlin delivered more of the songs that will keep up singing on Sunday morning and beyond.

While you're reading, check out our playlist for Best Christian/Gospel Songs of 2010.

20.
Michael W. Smith
Wonder
His 22nd career project, produced by Bryan Lennox, finds Michael W. Smith returning to the kind of story-based pop ballads that made his career. "I'll Wait for You" is a raw, real take on the desperation and uncertainty so many people feel on a daily basis, while "Welcome Home" is a musical memorial to those who've left us, often seemingly too soon. The heaviness of "Leave," inspired by the touchy topics of abuse and bullying, is balanced by a pair of love songs written for Smith's wife of 29 years. The hurt we feel is real, Smith acknowledges, but it doesn't overshadow the hope found in God. — Wendy Lee Nentwig

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One of the biggest-selling soundtracks of all time, Saturday Night Fever spread the disco gospel to the masses, turned the soft rock band the Bee Gees into Open-Shirted Disco Gods, and transformed TV actor John Travolta into a major movie star. Once hated by rock fans, the music here has actually held up very well, especially its string of high-hat-rich Bee Gees tunes -- "Stayin' Alive," "Jive Talkin'" etc. Ironically, this album also ended up destroying the Bee Gees", since the group was forever lumped in with the disco craze. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now!

With tracks like "Everyday I Die A Little" and acrimonious lyrics like "you radiate nothing," Brand New By Tomorrow appears to be a break-up album of sorts. But it's the sunniest break-up ever: mellow AM gold keyboard grooves; chipper, chummy guitar licks; and some downright jolly electro-drumming. Oh, and that bitter tome to the lover who "radiates nothing"? It practically skips along, thanks to a perky little beat that seems to have been pinched from a Casio demo button, circa 1985. Would that all our break-ups sounded like Money Mark's. —Rachel Devitt Hear It Now!

The fourth record from Atlanta's reigning duo of funkiness is Outkast's most commercially successful project to date. Produced mostly by themselves, they continue to get staggeringly better with each release. Experimenting with more bugged-out sonic combinations, the release features "B.O.B.," "So Fresh, So Clean ," "Ms. Jackson," and "Red Velvet." Amazing music. Hear It Now!

The title track was one of the biggest jazz hits of the 1960s, and it made a strong club comeback in the '90s. While most of the album is a solid Latin effort, bonus tracks offer superb Hard Bop with such New York stalwarts as Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, and Jimmy Heath. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now!

Well, pop fans, it's been quite a year. The old familiars (or at least familiar) threw down (almost literally in the case of Taylor v. Kanye, Round 2). Lots of fresh hungry faces — from B.o.B. to Ke$ha, Janelle to Drake — crowded the scene and changed the game. And everybody and their favorite Black Eyed Pea went gaga (ahem) for dance pop. We've picked 20 great album here, though there are many more where these came from. And unlike years past, where there's been a clear queen or king of the pop world (like Gaga's reign over 2009), a clear-cut leader didn't really step forward. We were all winners this year, friends (especially Kanye). 

It was a quite a year in Latin music. Ups and downs abounded: Shakira set the globe shaking with her World Cup anthem "Waka Waka," while Argentinean icon Gustavo Cerati tragically slipped into a coma after suffering a stroke. Narcocorridos went as mainstream as they could: Los Cuates Valenzuela got their own reality show on Mun2, and young narco artists gobbled up market share with minimal radio support. Meanwhile, Latin alternative music got its own radio show (its second, actually) with NPR's Alt.Latino, and cumbia — once your aunt's shabby dance music — suddenly went viral and showed up in clubs around the globe. Chilean emcee Anita Tijoux ended up on many critics' year-end lists, and pan-Latino pride seemed to be on the resurgence, evident in projects from Ruben Albarran's Hoppo to Calle 13's new masterwork. And then of course there was Enrique Iglesias, who made it into the charts with a song entitled "Tonight (I'm F**king You)." *Sigh.*

But that shameful incident aside, 2010's musical heights have been dizzying. We take you through 20 of our absolute favorite Latin albums this year. Did we miss something? Did we love something you hated? Jump in the mix and let us know! And, to hear an extended playlist of this year's best Latin albums, click here.

20.
Camila
Dejarte De Amar
Their second release took its sweet time, but that's kind of Camila's M.O.: they start slow, build to a crescendo, and wallop you with emotion until you sink back, sated. But while the insanely popular Todo Cambio kept R&B as its guiding artistic light, we enter the realm of the rock ballad on Dejarte de Amar. Each song travels a fairly predictable trajectory — intimate meditations build to rocking catharsis before crashing into a sensitive coda — but the great singing and solid hooks make this the follow-up fans have been waiting for. — S.B.

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This may be the year when hip-hop artists re-embraced the mainstream. Big, soaring choruses; glittery guest appearances; and allusions to mall-rocking pop and rock sounds all cropped up on 2010's most successful works. If the resulting list of one writer's favorites lacks street swagger, it's because there wasn't much of it, at least when it came to official albums. (The mixtape scene, led by Big K.R.I.T., Kendrick Lamar, Lil B, J. Cole and others, is an entirely different story.

Fans, artists and critics were bitterly divided over the toned-down aggression of this year's best. They universally hailed Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Curren$y's Pilot Talk, but argued noisily over Drake's Thank Me Later and B.o.B's The Adventures of Bobby Ray, claiming that the latter strayed from real hip-hop values. Importantly, they seemed uncomfortable with the idea that hip-hop could absorb all forms of popular music, not just a narrower urban street ethos. However, rap trends are notoriously short, and it would not be surprising if 2011's group of contenders swing the pendulum in the opposite direction and re-embrace the virtues of hardcore hip-hop. Enjoy 2010 while you still can.


While reading, listen to our list for The Best Songs of 2010: Hip-Hop.

20.
Skyzoo & Illmind
Live from the Tape Deck
Live from the Tape Deck, a collaboration between rapper Skyzoo and producer Illmind, is not only a throwback to classical values, but also a metaphor for "doing the right thing," as several interludes derived from Spike Lee's 1989 film reminds us. So in spite of being "critically acclaimed and underrated at the same time," Skyzoo eschews industry gimmicks in favor of dense lyricism, from setting the proverbial "Kitchen Table" to tossing "Frisbees." Illmind's beats are reminiscent of Black Milk's excellent Tronic, adding hardcore electronic bangers that enhance this purist hip-hop experience. — Mosi Reeves

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Going over the long list of jazz releases from 2010 has been an exhausting but exhilarating experience, and I finally managed to scale things down to a list of 20 albums that are at least partially representative of the vast modern jazz landscape.

Artists as diverse as Brad Mehldau and Esperanza Spalding show that jazz musicians have always drawn inspiration from a large well that includes classical music, folk traditions and pop trends (examples being that Mehldau is known for bringing indie rock songs into jazz; Spalding is slated to make a crossover soul album). The intense Mehldau went orchestral, and the bright-eyed Spalding took a chamber music detour. Pianist Fred Hersch dove deep after a horrifying near-death experience. Wynton Marsalis threw caution (and tradition) to the wind for an extended Iberian party that cast away any barriers between America and Spain, East and West, and then and now. Likewise, America's Stacey Kent took her American sass and British band to France (Canada's Jay Phelps also leads a U.K. group, though he used his in celebration of styles originally created in the good ole U.S. of A). Jason Moran deservedly won a 2010 MacArthur Genius grant, and guitarist John Pizzarelli should get some sort of comedy award for his priceless between-song patter, which brings me as much joy as old Bugs Bunny cartoons (big bonus time: Pizzarelli's music is just as fun).

Jazz has always been art and it has always been entertainment. Today, it is becoming more of a brotherhood of international musicians than ever. Jazz musicians are going bluegrass, country musicians are going jazz, and classical virtuosos like Nigel Kennedy play acoustic/electric fusion bop without blinking an eye. The most jaw-droppingly energizing concert I saw in 2010 was by the Punch Brothers, a bluegrass band that dazzled a crowd of jazz and classical fans (and even country-folk hounds) before they changed gears and lovingly covered Radiohead to equal applause. Charles Lloyd spearheaded the most moving concert, uniting a room full of strangers and connecting them with The Music of the Spheres (try that, Lady Gaga!).

Twenty-ten has also offered up plenty of hard times, and perhaps only poetry is less respected than jazz in the American marketplace (people — the marketplace wasn't right on the housing bubble, it's not right on executive pay and it sure isn't right about jazz). Ironically, most of this has to do with the loss of retail space given to jazz. Over in Europe, a gorgeous instrumental duets release by Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden (both Yanks, by the way) sailed up the pop charts. Likewise, jazzy singer-songwriter Melody Gardot joined a number of mainstream artists in moving to Europe, where she gets played on the radio and sells out large concert venues across the continent.

Ironically, the sinking of the smooth jazz market has really upped the quality of the music, with David Sanborn getting his gritty groove back, Kirk Whalum releasing his best platter yet and Lee Ritenour celebrating his favorite living guitarists with 6 String Theory. Herbie Hancock went on a global pop/rock and blues exchange that explored our common humanity, and Gil Scott-Heron came back from the dead (sort of) with a powerful, if dispiriting, return to studio recording.

Two of the record labels that seemed to release the greatest number of quality albums this year were ECM and Sunnyside Records. ECM is famous for crafting intense but often quiet music that blurs the boundaries between the avant-garde and easy listening (art doesn't have to hurt, people). Sunnyside's only guiding principle seems to be an unending appetite for mainstream jazz in any and all forms. Both labels got two albums each on the list ... and there could have been more. There are also two releases featuring The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, which shows its value by giving an artist such as Ted Nash the opportunity to work across a larger canvas than he ever has before (literally "canvas" in Nash's case, as he composed a sweeping tribute to his favorite painters).

Rhapsody may have dropped the ball on jazz from time to time in 2010, but we are doubling down our efforts in the new year. The Jazz Spot is our weekly roundup of new jazz releases and reissues, The New Breed (just one of our dozens of genre radio stations) spotlights today's jazz generation, and our weekly jazz newsletter celebrates artists, themes, trends and labels.

While reading, check out our playlist of the Best Songs of 2010: Jazz.

New music need not apply, people. This year-end list spotlights all the killer reissues, compilations and archival releases that came out in 2010. There were a lot, for sure. American heroes Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan grabbed the biggest headlines. The Boss dropped The Promise, an album's worth of "lost" material from 1976. His idol Dylan, meanwhile, re-released the first eight albums of his career, including the canonic Blonde on Blonde, in glorious mono. Every one of them sounds a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Then there's Jimi Hendrix, whose estate finally opened the Reprise vaults, resulting in two collections, Valleys of Neptune and the box set West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology.

Some of the most satisfying archival releases of the year came from the mainstream's margins. The recent explosion of rare "world music" releases continues with Pomegranates, a sublime survey of psychedelic folk-pop from hippie-era Iran. Closer to home, the always-amazing Smithsonian Folkways label produced Classic Appalachian Blues, which delves into the mountain-blues music that thrived in eastern Virginia and Carolina in the early 20th century.

In terms of the avant-rock, definitely don't sleep on the sprawling boxed set from Krautrock icons Neu!, a group that is far more influential on modern music than its cult status would imply. Another great set comes in the form of Coals to Newcastle, which sheds some much-needed light on Orange Juice, a jangly outfit from 1980s Scotland that just about every modern indie-pop band rips off — often without even realizing it.

Happy new year, and happy exploring!


Bruce Springsteen
The Promise
The Promise sits halfway between a lost album and an outtakes collection. The Boss recorded these tracks in the two years following the 1975 release of Born to Run that overlapped with the making of Darkness on the Edge of Town. And yet they feel somewhat removed from the dark, desperate tones of the latter. Apparently, those qualities had yet to fully infect his writing. In interviews, Springsteen has said that these songs — which include versions of "Because the Night" and "Fire" — could've been released as a separate album. This is why he took the time to polish them over 30 years later. — Justin Farrar

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Holy cliché! Band under duress takes many drugs and creates over-stuffed psychedelic mess-terpiece. The transition between post-punk Cure and "about to take over the world" Cure, this has plenty of ideas, some fine tunes ("The Caterpillar" is another great single), Robert Smith's marble-mouthed yowling, and lyrics like "I could be a polar bear." Nifty. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now!

Editor's note: The goal for this column, Rhapsody's year in review, was to write something positive and humorous. But all that changed when — at precisely 5:35 p.m. EST on Friday, December 17 — Facebook and Twitter hit me with the sad news: multiple sclerosis had claimed Don Van Vliet. And so, instead of poking a finely sharpened stick at all the sleazy post-grunge bands that released stripper anthems in 2011, I'd like to pay tribute, however pithy, to one of America's greatest, and most unique, artists: Captain Beefheart. Though he released his last record, 1982's Ice Cream for Crow, when I was just seven years old, the Captain and his Magic Band played an intensely pivotal role in my music education. I, unlike a lot of fans, wasn't a punk or some underground bohemian when I first heard Trout Mask Replica. I was a young fan of classic rock and hippie jams: The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Spirit, etc. I learned of the Captain when I snagged a copy of Robert Santelli's Sixties Rock: A Listener's Guide. This was around 1988; I was in seventh grade. Appearing at the back of the book was Santelli's list of the 25 (or was it 50?) best albums of the decade. The goal, after obsessive abortion, was to purchase every single record on the list, from Sweetheart of the Rodeo to Going to a Go-Go to Trout Mask. When I finally did purchase that last title, it utterly exploded my brain. Alien and otherworldly, absurd and aggressive, Trout Mask sounded unlike anything else on Santelli's list. A magnificent piece of art in its own right, the album also served as a portal, through which I discovered an entire universe of weird and obscure music. I've never been the same since. Goodnight, Captain — you will be missed.

To state the obvious, every year a lot happens in music. And while we at Rhapsody keep ourselves busy trying to figure out what are the top artists, albums and tracks, sometimes you can tell more about the year by the small stories than the big ones. From the Biebster's voice cracking to the new generation of weed rappers, we're taking a look at the quirky vignettes that collectively capture what 2010 was all about.

Witch House

In a perfect world, all genre names could double as Abbott and Costello routines. "Have you checked out this new 'witch house'?" "Which house?" "Exactly." "No, I mean, which house do you mean?" "That's exactly what I mean, witch house."

"Witch house," the name, was such a bad idea that no one took credit for it — it just suddenly appeared and then was everywhere (if by "everywhere," you mean anywhere on the Internet within six degrees of Pitchfork). It was such a bad idea that some artists who were aligned with the genre started calling their own music even dumber names, like "night bus" or "rape gaze," which caused a whole kerfuffle in its own right (probably rightly so). And yet, as with chillwave before it, there was actually some great music to come out of the genre's viral cauldron. Acts like Balam Acab, oOoOO and even Salem had their moments of gothy atmospherics, stumbling drum machines and down-pitched vocals. Maybe what was most impressive was how many artists with similar agendas seemed to appear almost simultaneously out of nowhere, like emanations of the zeitgeist. At the genre's most hyper-aware, as with the appropriative tricksters Hype Williams, the self-referencing circle of memes could be hard to take — but, for that reason, also hard to ignore. Who wants to be on the wrong side of a good joke? — Philip Sherburne

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There was no stopping Madonna by the time this 1986 smash hit record came out; it sold a whopping 19 million copies worldwide. The singer took her place as the de facto queen of pop with Like A Virgin, but with True Blue she destroyed all comers for the crown. "Papa Don't Preach"? "Live To Tell"? C'mon. — Mike McGuirk Hear It Now!

On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Natasha Bedingfield talk about her favorite album of all time. Rhapsody subscribers can listen to Strip Me and millions of other albums whenever and however they want. Click here to sign up for a free Rhapsody trial subscription and see what we're all about.

ARTIST: Natasha Bedingfield Record: Santogold

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Sara Bareilles On the Record		Tori Amos On the Record		Rob Thomas On the Record	Jakob Dylan On the Record

Every year Rhapsody names an Artist of the Year, basing the award on musical achievements as well as how deeply the artist(s) penetrated popular culture. The past two years, the award has gone to a pick that felt obvious. In 2008, the nod went to Lil Wayne; in 2009, the distinction belonged to Lady Gaga. This year, however, was a bit more difficult. There was no obvious single artist who captured the zeitgeist, and the two artists who seem to best fit the criteria, Taylor Swift and Kanye West, are inexorably linked to one another (thanks to a memorable outburst at the 2009 VMAs) and most at odds with one another, at least symbolically. They represented different sides of the pop music spectrum. Swift was the ever-affable, ever-lovable sweetheart who made one of the year's most accessible and popular albums. Kanye West, meanwhile, was a supremely polarizing figure who made no excuses for his arrogance, but who was also undoubtedly a musical genius, making one of the most ambitious and satisfying albums in ages. So, yeah, we split that baby. If you want to find out a little more about the thinking that went into this decision, you can check out a conversation about it below. And we also have a lot of great content from both artists, including playlists and reviews of their landmark albums.

	Learn why we picked Kanye and Taylor.			Discover why Taylor Swift and Ke$ha are different sides of the same coin.
	Hear the best of Taylor Swift.			Read our review of Taylor's latest.
	Hear all of Kanye West's Classics.			Read an extended review of Kanye's latest.

Every year, we name one Artist of the Year, and inevitably, many of our readers and subscribers want to know a little more about how we make our choice. So this year we decided to let you be a fly on the wall, and learn exactly how our writers and editors narrowed down the choices and picked 2010's Artist of the Year. Below, you can read a conversation between our Rhapsody panel of music experts, including Sr. Managing Editor Sam Chennault, Director of Programming Garrett Kamps, Alt/Indie Editor Stephanie Benson, Country Editor Linda Ryan, Electronic Editor Philip Sherburne, Jazz Editor Nick Dedina, Pop Editor Rachel Devitt and Critic-in-Residence Chuck Eddy. So, check out our conversation, and see who we landed on for our 2010 Artist of the Year.

Sam Chennault
Thanks for showing up, everyone. As I mentioned in my e-mail, we're here to pick Rhapsody's artist of the year. We do this on an annual basis. Last year, we picked Lady Gaga, and the year before we picked Lil Wayne, for example. We can discuss the exact criteria, but the award is intended for the artist who is at the center of the music universe in any given year, both in terms of the greater conversation about music as well as what people are actually listening to in 2010. So, as much as we'd all love to name Flying Lotus our artist of the year, it needs to be someone who had an impact on the larger public.

Chuck Eddy
So ... Justin Bieber?

Sam
Sure ... you could make a case for him. Some of the artists we mentioned before were Kanye, Taylor, Nicki, Ke$ha, Eminem and Arcade Fire. Do any of those stand out as obvious picks?

Philip Sherburne
One approach would be to look for this year's narrative, and find the artist who fits it — a strategy that would help Kanye, obviously. We're in some sense asking which artist best defined the zeitgeist.

Twenty-ten turned out to be a killer year for indie fans. Arcade Fire knocked Eminem off his Billboard throne; established acts like The National, The Black Keys, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens and LCD Soundsystem continued their reign, headlining festivals, showing up all over TV shows and advertisements, and piling up more fans than ever. Then there were new projects from Jonsi (of Sigur Ros) and Danger Mouse and James Mercer (of The Shins) and newcomers like Mumford & Sons, Surfer Blood and Twin Shadow keeping all those vets on their toes. Here we've compiled 20 of the best alternative and indie albums from 2010. You can listen to all of them right here on Rhapsody.

Also, check out our playlist of some of the Best Alternative/Indie Songs of 2010.


20.
Jonsi
Go
The title Go is a perfect fit for the Sigur Ros frontman's debut album. It's a tiny word loaded with affirmation and dynamism, much like Jonsi's inimitable falsetto, a delicate instrument with immense power behind it. Like his work with Sigur Ros, huge symphonic crescendos are almost required to keep up with him; they serve to melt the frosted touch of his coos, in return giving listeners uncontrollable chills. Composer Nico Muhly lightens the mood with jovial beats and chirping flutes, and Jonsi even gives up some of his mystique by singing in (mostly) English. Beautiful. — Stephanie Benson

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In putting together our list of the year's best electronic music, the criteria were, as always, rather fuzzy. These days, it's harder to find an indie band that doesn't use synthesizers than one with at least a token keyboard; hell, even some metal bands use laptops on stage these days. And when it comes to chart pop and hip-hop, those genres are every bit as CPU-intensive as the most avowedly digital dance music.

And so, as we usually do in such situations, we went with our gut. The list below represents what we found to be the most forward-thinking, successfully executed and sonically rewarding material to come from the broader spectrum of self-consciously electronic music in 2010. Most of it comes from independent labels and more or less underground milieux, though there are exceptions, like Robyn's Body Talk — a bright, brassy, radio-ready pop album that nevertheless engaged with the idea of electronic dance music far more compellingly than almost any other record this year, no matter the source or the scene. LCD Soundsystem's great This Is Happening, on the other hand, got left out because, at the end of the day, it felt more like a rock record, despite its many nods to classic disco, Detroit techno and Brian Eno.

What follows, then, may be no more or less definitive than any of dozens of similar lists to appear this month, but it offers an ample selection of exemplary work from across electronic music's wide, fractured spectrum, from Flying Lotus' mind-expanding "beat music" to Emeralds guitarist Mark McGuire's ambient meanderings, and from Pantha Du Prince's emotive minimal techno to Glasser's immaculately conceived electro pop.

For a rundown of the year's 50 best electronic tracks — from house, techno, dubstep and beyond — don't miss our Best Songs of 2010: Electronic/Dance playlist.


20.
Apparat
DJ Kicks
Berlin's Apparat uses his DJ Kicks mix as the opportunity to draw alternate trajectories for techno, stretching repetitive beats to their breaking points and sketching melodic lines well past the club's horizon. This unmixed version gathers left-field techno and dubstep from Joy Orbison, T++ and Cosmin TRG alongside less classifiable material from Scorn, Oval and Tim Hecker, finding common cause across the electronic spectrum. The final, single-track mix stitches it all together into something approaching a dream state. — Philip Sherburne

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What a year it was for country music! Lady Antebellum didn't just cross over into the Top 40, they ruled the airwaves for the better part of the year, settling in the No. 2 spot in Billboard's Top 100 Songs for 2010, while the album Need You Now lands in the No. 3 spot for overall sales for the year. And Taylor Swift, who continues to be an ambassador for the genre, ends the year with two albums in Billboard's year-end Top 200 chart; Fearless at No. 7 and Speak Now at No. 9. Pretty impressive!

While those are two extremely potent examples of America's current love affair with country, they certainly don't tell the whole story. Country music had its fair share of down-and-out moments, drinking and ruined relationships, all put to song. Small-town civic pride, unemployment struggles and wistful looks back at the simpler days also permeated the world of country music. Rhapsody's list of the best country albums of 2010 is not based on radio or Internet play, sales numbers, concert attendance or any number-crunching criteria. Rather, this list is compiled from the heart of Rhapsody's country editor, Linda Ryan.

While reading, take a listen to a playlist of our picks for Best Songs of 2010: Country.


20.
Kenny Chesney
Hemingway's Whiskey
It's no surprise that Kenny Chesney, the unabashed king of chill, takes a relaxed approach to Hemingway's Whiskey. His decision to cut his last tour short in favor of recording has spilled over into his grooves. Many of the album's songs are about escaping and unwinding — spiritually ("Live a Little [Love a Lot]," "Coastal"), mentally ("Reality") and chemically ("You and Tequila"). Highlights abound, from the feel-good rocker "Live a Little" to the George Jones remake/duet "Small Y'all" and the nostalgic "Where I Grew Up." — Linda Ryan

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Twenty-ten, as you're about to discover, was a glorious 12-month stretch for megaton riffage, snarling grooves and screaming solos. The fluffy piano ballads and adult-alternative goo of years past gave way to pure and unadulterated rawk.

Hard music for hard times, I suppose.

Leaving behind the indie ghetto once and for all, The Sword's third full-length, the insanely ambitious Warp Riders, which is Rhapsody's rock album of the year, is proof the band has evolved into authentic gods, ones with an encyclopedic knowledge of two stone-cold classics: Deep Purple's Machine Head and Rainbow's Rising. No talk of hard-rock immortality is complete without bowing down before the (often) shirtless guitarist Matt Pike, whose band High on Fire dropped a doom/thrash epic: Snakes for the Divine. Cranking this record is the sonic equivalent of Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff pile driving you 10 times in a row. Speaking of doom/thrash, three upstarts from Savannah, Ga., who go by the name Black Tusk further cemented the South's reputation as a hotbed for heavy-metal nefariousness by dropping Taste the Sin, a debut album falling squarely in the Baroness/Kylesa zone. Regrouping after the loss of longtime bassist Chi Cheng, who remains in a coma after a tragic car crash in 2008, Deftones gave fans Diamond Eyes, the group's best, and most adventurous, album in a decade, since the now-classic White Pony, in fact.

Despite all the killer hard rock and metal, 2010 also taught us heaviness comes in myriad guises. It isn't always about volume and feedback; sometimes mood, feel and lyricism are what grab you. Producer Daniel Lanois had a hand in making two records that bleed these attributes: Neil Young's spacey Le Noise and Black Dub, the self-titled debut album from Lanois' new band. Black Dub features the neo-soul vocals of Trixie Whitley, daughter of cult artist Chris Whitley. Then there's Laura Marling. She might be a diminutive, 20-year-old singer-songwriter from the U.K., but she's no narcissistic sensitivo with an annoying chirp. Her sophomore effort, I Speak Because I Can, is a powerful slab of rumbling folk-rock: passionate, dark, stormy and mysterious. Lots of modern mavens have been tagged "the next Sandy Denny," but Marling is the only one who even comes close.

Another big winner in 2010 was blues-rock, albeit blues-rock with a twist. On Sea of Cowards Jack White's latest outfit, The Dead Weather concocts a mutant hybrid of blues, garage and progressive rock — dig the Yes-inspired breakdown in "The Difference Between Us" — that's really quite stunning in its expansiveness. The Black Keys' Brothers, the duo's dirtiest joint in quite some time, sounds downright traditional in comparison. And let's not forget JJ Grey & Mofro's Georgia Warhorse. While mainstream rock radio continues to sleep on the guy, his mix of Southern soul and swamp rock attracts more and more fans with each passing year. The guy is a serious talent for sure. Of course, more than a few of you will have serious problems with this list. Hell, you might even think I'm a total jackass who doesn't know a thing about music. That's cool — please leave as many comments as possible, including your own best-of lists. At the same time, definitely keep an open mind when exploring these albums; maybe, just maybe, you'll discover one that will blow your mind.

To check out a bunch of jams from the records listed, simply go to the end of this post. Or, you can check out an expanded playlist here.


20.
10 Years
Feeding the Wolves
Feeding the Wolves, 10 Years' fifth full-length since 2001, is the band's most consistent and fully developed album to date. This shouldn't come as any surprise, considering top-shelf producer Howard Benson has been one of the key behind-the-scenes architects of post-grunge and alternative metal. Benson helps 10 Years balance their twin loves: punishing, Tool-inspired epics ("Dead in the Water," "The Wicked Ones") and brooding balladry ("One More Day"). — Justin Farrar

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Given Yo-Yo Ma's recent success leading wide-ranging collaborations with the Silk Road Ensemble, it's natural that his first holiday collection is a sophisticated, stylish trip though global holiday traditions, strung together by variations on the "Dona Nobis Pacem (Give Us Peace)" hymn. The cameo appearances -- Diana Krall, James Taylor, Joshua Redman and Chris Botti -- have lots of appeal to the urbane boomer set, but his work with Edgar Meyer and bluegrass mandolin prodigy Chris Thile is the best stuff, recalling his Appalachian Journey efforts. — Nate Cavalieri Hear It Now!

If anything marked world music this year, it was the lack of any big, defining story. In recent years, there's usually been a movement of some kind: gypsy music, desert blues. But 2010 was a year of fragments. The stalwarts continued to release big, commercial albums: Angelique Kidjo's Oyo and Youssou N'Dour's I Bring What I Love. (Neither album made our Top 20.) Musicians from Mali and Cuba joined forces for a long-overdue album that combines the good taste of Buena Vista Social Club with a much more vibrant, spontaneous feel. Meanwhile, the kids kept making club music that defied national boundaries and continued to earn the contempt of many world music critics/purists. And then there were Soundway Records' absolutely essential compilations, which unearthed hidden historical musical movements/moments from around the globe.

In fact, if there was a defining story, perhaps that was it: the use of the compilation to paint a picture of a musical world that would otherwise be inaccessible. Soundway Records dug up marginally accessible scenes from the past, but comps like Ayobaness!, Afrolution Vol. 2, The Sound of Club Secousse, Oi! A Nova Musica Brasileira! and many others exposed scenes currently in motion. These snapshots became essential listening for anyone with big ears but a limited travel budget.

And so we present our Top 20 world music albums of 2010. Did we miss something you loved? Love something you hated? Let us know in the comments section. And also be sure to listen to the Best Songs of 2010: World playlist.

This holiday classic should actually be titled "Frank's Alternately Somber and Jolly Christmas" as neither Sinatra nor arranger Gordon Jenkins could hide their maudlin sides when they worked together. The first half contains beautiful readings of modern holiday classics while the second half features traditional Xmas numbers. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now!

For the pensive holiday reveler, I'll Stay 'Til After Christmas is a great collection of festive ditties filtered through delicate indie pop. The sweet, girly croons of Au Revoir Simone start out the set with a nostalgic Charlie Brown classic, an apt first song for the subdued compilation. While the quirky electropop of Figurine and the upbeat jingle jangle provided by Parenthetical Girls offer a subtle ebullience, there's a soft, melancholy undertone that's highlighted by tracks from Sally Shapiro, Blitzen Trapper and My Brightest Diamond. Bonus: All proceeds go to Amnesty International. — Stephanie Benson Hear It Now!

Spend the day with Zach and Ryan Portugal. The Man as they take us around their favorite places in Portland, Oregon. Continue reading Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: Portugal. The Man. Johnny Cash, Christmas with Johnny Cash By Rhapsody Editorial December 22, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks This album boasts what is perhaps the only photograph of the Man in Black dressed in white. The music here is gritty, but Cash sings these carols in a gentle, loving voice. Also featured is "Christmas As I Knew It," a previously unreleased bonus narrative in the spirit of "The Night Before Christmas." Sort of. — Eric Shea Hear It Now! Ray Charles, The Spirit of Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 21, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Brother Ray released the finest Christmas album of the 1980s by a country mile. He did this by ignoring every single Reagan Era sonic signpost and opting instead for his classic soulful, blues-drenched jazz sound. The hippest of Xmas sets, this one also has plenty of room for Charles' open-hearted, humanistic approach (listen to "That Spirit of Christmas" and "All I Want for Christmas"). Ray's version of "Winter Wonderland" is still heard every year in When Harry Met Sally, and "Baby It's Cold Outside" is a bonus cut culled from Charles' classic duets record with Betty Carter. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! My Chemical Romance x The Beatles By Lauren Tabak December 20, 2010 12:30 PM 10 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch My Chemical Romance talk about their favorite album of all time. Rhapsody subscribers can listen to Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys and millions of other albums whenever and however they want. Click here to sign up for a free Rhapsody trial subscription and see what we're all about. ARTIST: My Chemical Romance RECORD: Sgt. Pepper's My Chemical Romance vs. the Box FAR*EAST MOVEMENT On the Record Watch Lady Gaga vs. The Box Times New Viking Tour Columbus June Christy, This Time of Year By Rhapsody Editorial December 20, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks The cool jazz vocalist June Christy gave music fans a Christmas present when she recorded this all-original concept holiday album. This Time of Year tells a story of wintertime loneliness turning into romance and spiritual rebirth ("Winter's Got Spring Up Its Sleeve"). "The Merriest" has been widely anthologized for years, but most of this set is little known outside of those who inhabit the Island of Misfit Toys. Christy's usual collaborator, Pete Rugolo, offers up his signature modernist jazz backings. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Danny Gokey x Metallica By Lauren Tabak December 20, 2010 7:19 AM 2 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Danny Gokey talk about his favorite album of all time. Rhapsody subscribers can listen to My Best Days and millions of other albums whenever and however they want. Click here to sign up for a free Rhapsody trial subscription and see what we're all about. ARTIST: Danny Gokey RECORD: Metallica Taylor Swift vs. the Box Watch Zac Brown On the Record Watch Zac Brown vs. the Box Watch Toby Keith vs. the Box Continue reading Danny Gokey x Metallica. Elvis Presley, White Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 19, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks An excellent collection of Elvis' timeless Christmas songs. Highlights include the bluesy crash of "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" and the weeping backup singers on "Blue Christmas." As the album spans his entire career, there are some clunkers toward the end, but on the whole this is a pleasant listen. Seekers of weirdo Elvis irony will be pleased by "Mama Liked The Roses." — Mike McGuirk Hear It Now! Various Artists, This Warm December: Brushfire Holiday's Vol. 1 By Rhapsody Editorial December 18, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks The Christmas feel-good comp for 2008, this Jack Johnson-led collection features like-minded artists on his Brushfire label and introduces the roster's latest addition (and its first female artist) Malaysian singer-songwriter Zee Avi. The set tends toward simple acoustic renditions of holiday chestnuts, but the highlights come in the surprises, like Rogue Wave's lo-fi version of the Who's "Christmas" from Tommy and a dispirited Neil Halstead cover of Fountains of Wayne's "The Man in the Santa Suit." — Nate Cavalieri Hear It Now! Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: Mouse Fire By Lauren Tabak December 17, 2010 4:40 PM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Spend the day with Shane and JC from Mouse Fire as they take us around their favorite places in Tampa Bay, Florida. Continue reading Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: Mouse Fire. R.I.P. Captain Beefheart (1941-2010) By Chuck Eddy December 17, 2010 4:02 PM 2 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Captain Beefheart - Don Van Vliet, born in 1941 and now dead of multiple sclerosis, just one month short of his 70th birthday - was as much behind his time as he was ahead of his time. And then he wasn't. Almost definitely the greatest "outsider" artist in the history of rock 'n' roll (maybe the only great outsider artist, in a semi-popular/alternative-culture world that he unwittingly helped inspire that now makes pointless film documentaries out of every talentless trumped-up footnote), he was musically, in a lot of ways, a throwback - to Delta blues, Howlin' Wolf, maybe free jazz, although he was known to deny it. (In 1980, he told Lester Bangs that Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman didn't move him - at least not as much as a goose, "the way they blow their heart out for nothing like that.") Delta blues, as anybody who has ever listened to Charley Patton knows, was avant-garde music, not necessarily on purpose. And though he had no qualms about exploding Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues" into "Tarotplane" for almost 20 minutes, it was never easy, or even possible, to come close to figuring out what Beefheart's purpose was: He growled about Dachau and ashtray hearts and tropical hot dog nights and multi-coloured Caucasians, and he was clearly concerned about the state of the ecology, but he denied his songs were political allegories; he was just painting in colors, and the words were a canvas. Continue reading R.I.P. Captain Beefheart (1941-2010). Kermit Ruffins, Have a Crazy Cool Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 17, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Kermit Ruffins took his modernistic spin on the classic New Orleans trumpet/vocals style and took it international on the HBO TV series Treme. Being open-hearted and fun is now frowned upon in both pop music and the contemporary jazz scene but those are the attributes that Ruffins has in spades. This makes for a frisky, upbeat Xmas set that families will want to return to every December. Ruffins' voice isn't always on-pitch but his sentiments are. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Cheat Sheet: The Smiths By Nick Dedina December 16, 2010 10:25 AM 2 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks During the 1980s and '90s, The Smiths were on the short list of the greatest indie rock bands of all time. Now, they are almost universally viewed as one of the greatest rock/guitar pop acts of any decade. The proof is in the enduring quality of their songbook and in the legions of new fans they continue to win all over the world. Humans love to stereotype, and music critics are all too human. Say "The Smiths" to a room full of average laypeople, and you are liable to hear words like "sensitive" and "moody." Macho rock critics also had to deal with what Robert Christgau tagged as his own "wimpophobia" against the band. I remember when a high school football player walked into my homeroom class singing "Big Mouth Strikes Again" I knew that The Smiths were starting to cross over to mass American appeal. Instead, the broke up and R.E.M. went on to score one for the wimps. I first heard "Hand in Glove" and "This Charming Man" on the radio in 1983, but it wasn't until a few months into 1984 that I was able to listen to their debut album (kids, before Rhapsody existed, actually getting your hands on certain records could involve holy grail-esque searches. Thankfully, I had an older brother with good taste in music). The album was very, very good -- they were a strong singles band who also knew how to put an entire record together. I know their catalog inside and out — at this point I shouldn't find anything new in it. Yet, upon re-listening to their entire output for Rhapsody, I was surprised at how varied the songs were and how diverse The Smith's sound actually was. This is a band that could play a mix of 1950s rockabilly, '60s folk-rock, stark post-punk, lush orchestral pop or stately piano ballads. They had a punk rock drummer and a funk bassist. The music itself still buzzes with the pure joy of creation — Johnny Marr was riding such a creative peak as a musician that he can't even remember what he did to come up with some of the guitar sounds he made. Likewise, Morrissey's game-changing lyrics are thought of as bookish and self-pitying ("wimpophobia" rears its head again), but they can be full of ribald, street-smart humor, brutal violence and moral complexity. For all the talk of heartache, the lyrics are often biting and witty instead of whiny. Continue reading Cheat Sheet: The Smiths. Annie Lennox, A Christmas Cornucopia By Rhapsody Editorial December 16, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Annie Lennox puts aside her blue-eyed soul leanings and goes back to her chilly British youth on this regal and austere set of Christmas classics. This is the world of "In the Bleak Midwinter," not "Frosty the Snowman." Lennox is committed and focused instead of comfy and fun, which suits material like "Lullay Lullay (Coventry Carol)" just right. There is a children's choir on some of the numbers, including the luminous "Silent Night" and the one original track. Lennox's "Universal Child" takes us out of Christmas Past and offers hope for our collective future. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Taylor Swift and Ke$ha: Not So Different By Chuck Eddy December 15, 2010 10:06 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks The two best new albums I heard in 2010 came from young women born in 1987 and 1989. They both debuted at No. 1 in Billboard, though the one that came out in January sold just 152,000 copies in its first week (but has racked up a couple million since). The one that came out in October finished its first week around the 1,047,000 mark. Each singer put more or less five singles in the Top 10 of the pop chart this year, but only the less respectable singer topped that chart for 10 weeks. The artist considered "country" grew up as part of a nuclear family in the southeastern Pennsylvania exurbs with a grandma who sang opera, and almost every soccer mom across the land thinks she's a perfect role model for kids. The artist not considered country moved from L.A. to Nashville when she was four and grew up fatherless there with a mother who wrote country songs, and almost every soccer mom across the land hopes her kids never meet anybody like her. So, on the surface, Taylor Swift and Ke$ha are exact opposites, right? Wrong. To me, they're two sides of the same coin, with a whole lot in common. Such as: They both do vicious revenge songs, aimed at people of both genders. But Taylor does more. On Speak Now, I count the title track (the most compelling parts of which are directed at a bride's "snotty little family," not the groom Taylor's trying to steal away), "Dear John," "Mean," and (most explicitly, since it's where she claims retaliation is her specialty) "Better Than Revenge." On Ke$ha's Animal, there's "Kiss N Tell" ("I hope you cry!") and "Backstabber," though maybe you could also count the swipes she takes elsewhere at dirty old men and rich people and guys' ugly girlfriends. Not to mention maybe at least three songs on her late-year 10-song add-on mini-album Cannibal (title cut, "Grow a Pear," Fannypack tribute "C U Next Tuesday"), where she chews up and spits out clingy males who outwear their welcome. (Taylor dumps a guy in "Back to December," too, but regrets it.) Continue reading Taylor Swift and Ke$ha: Not So Different. Various Artists, A Very Special Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 15, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Debuting in 1987, the first Very Special Christmas holiday compilation on A&M became an instant classic, dominating holiday radio with singles by The Boss, Sting, Whitney, Run D.M.C., and a host of other A-list stars. The cover illustration by Keith Haring and charitable cause -- all sales benefited the Special Olympics -- helped to further embody the holiday spirit. — Nate Cavalieri Hear It Now! The Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Classics By Nick Dedina December 14, 2010 10:05 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Christmas has been celebrated for centuries around the globe, but the modern Christmas song — like the iconography of the holiday itself — was perfected in the good old U.S.A. Over in Europe, Christmas songs were written to be sung in church or taken door to door when people went caroling. In America, soon-to-be cherished Christmas songs were written and recorded for radio shows, motion pictures and television specials — and even as straight-up pop singles (as you will discover below, the story told by one beloved holiday song was actually commissioned by a department store). None of this diminishes the songs themselves; the greatest tunesmiths in history all wanted to have American holiday hits, and their work has ended up partially defining Christmas for the entire world. The following songs can even illustrate the success of our cultural experiment. Three of the songwriters cited below are Jewish, one is Italian American, one was born in Puerto Rico, and two are Englishmen with proud Irish roots. These Christmas songs were from everyone and written by everybody. Keep reading to discover the stories of these songs. The Jackson 5 "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" The modern American Christmas song starts right here. Did you think this was an ancient folk sing-along from Bavaria? This was written in 1934 by the peerlessly named J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie for a holiday-themed episode of Eddie Cantor's radio show. People started clamoring for it the minute it hit the airwaves. They bought up 100,000 copies of the sheet music so they could perform it at home, as well as about a million copies of records that included the tune, including Tommy Dorsey's (a million copies was a enormous number back when many people didn't have record players and many rural folks didn't yet have electricity). It's worth mentioning that millions of kids have become somewhat paranoid thanks to the song's alarming revelation that Santa Claus monitors our every waking hour and decides who to define as naughty or nice. The Jackson 5's recording of it is included here since Michael's soaring vocals make the song sound more celebratory than, well, menacing.  Continue reading The Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Classics. The Smiths, The Queen is Dead By Rhapsody Editorial December 14, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks This is widely viewed as The Smiths' greatest hour; while this claim may not hold up on a song-by-song basis, the whole album pulses with a special vitality. The Morrissey/Marr team is once again capable of anything but rock cliches -- "Bigmouth Strikes Again" starts like The Stones and ends like a West End comedy, while "I Know It's Over" plays out like the saddest Angry Young Man movie of the 1960s. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a ringing teen anthem that remains intimate, as past heartache is looked upon with wisdom and humor: It's one of the band's most covered songs. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Keith Urban vs. the Box By Lauren Tabak December 13, 2010 3:31 PM 3 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks You gave us your questions. We put them in a box. Watch Keith Urban tackle your questions. Watch The Box vs. The Band Perry Watch The Box vs. Taylor Swift Watch The Box vs. Lady Gaga Watch The Box vs. Zac Brown Continue reading Keith Urban vs. the Box. Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: White Denim By Lauren Tabak December 13, 2010 12:47 PM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Spend the day with the Steve Terebecki, Austin Jenkins, James Petralli and Josh Block from White Denim as they take us around their favorite places in Austin, Texas. Continue reading Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: White Denim. Chris Young x Keith Whitley By Lauren Tabak December 13, 2010 10:45 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Chris Young talk about his favorite album of all time. Rhapsody subscribers can listen to Tomorrow and millions of other albums whenever and however they want. Click here to sign up for a free Rhapsody trial subscription and see what we're all about. ARTIST: Chris Young RECORD: Keith Whitley Taylor Swift vs. the Box Watch Zac Brown On the Record Watch Zac Brown vs. the Box Watch Toby Keith vs. the Box Shelby Lynne, Merry Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 13, 2010 9:50 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Shelby Lynne is one of modern music's most neglected talents. Here, she gets to the heart of nine holiday favorites and offers up two fine new additions to the Christmas canon. Lynne's approach is natural and laid-back yet she goes directly into the emotional core of each track. "Rudolph" is all innocent fun, while her original "Xmas" plays out like a neo-realist movie full of darker memories ("Holiday cocktails make me forget the gifts that daddy never opened"). The backings mix in country, blues, jazz and soul, making this one to pull out every December. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! George Shearing, Christmas with the George Shearing Quintet By Rhapsody Editorial December 12, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks There has always been something pristine and cool about the classic George Shearing piano/vibes/guitar sound, making it a natural fit for a Christmas album - one that should come with cocktails included. If anything, Shearing lets the band loosen up a bit with longer solos even as they keep to the "playing in unison" vision of the quintet. Shearing's playing is still fresh and frisky (as is Don Thompson's vibraphone work) and the band has fun putting a Latin or bop spins on certain tracks while laying down shimmering ballad sounds on others (such as the Claude Thornhill standard "Snowfall"). That's Shearing, sounding quite like Bobby Short, singing the closing "It's Christmas Time." — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Enya, And Winter Came By Rhapsody Editorial December 11, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks In the wintry world of Enya's first-ever Christmas release, the Irish artist carries us across snowy fields that stretch for miles, wind-swept by unearthly "oohs" and "ahhs" and accompanied by the shimmering bridle bells of the ivory gelding's canter. The collection of originals is mixed with some traditionals -- like the startled rendition "O Come O Come Emmanuel" -- but leans toward agnostic winter leitmotifs. The most interesting song is the penultimate "My! My! Time Flies!," a gentle snowball fight between John Tesh and Brian May that includes, of all rare gifts, a genuine guitar solo. — Nate Cavalieri Hear It Now! Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: Times New Viking By Lauren Tabak December 10, 2010 11:04 AM 1 Comment | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Spend the day with Adam, Beth and Jared from Times New Viking as they take us around their favorite places in Columbus, Ohio. Continue reading Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: Times New Viking. The Box vs. My Chemical Romance By Lauren Tabak December 10, 2010 10:27 AM 33 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks You gave us your questions. We put them in a box. Watch the guys from My Chemical Romance put their spin on our The Box vs. series. Watch The Box vs. The Band Perry Watch The Box vs. Taylor Swift Watch The Box vs. Lady Gaga Watch The Box vs. Zac Brown Various Artists, A Motown Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 10, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks By cherry-picking the best tunes from six of their artists' individual Christmas albums, Motown created a solid, 2-disc set that feels like a holiday party. You've got the Jackson 5 as the giddy kids running around the house shouting about Santa Claus coming to town, the Miracles and the Temptations tending a warm fire while cooing season's tidings, Stevie Wonder playing the piano, and Diana Ross as the regal hostess who deigns to sing some carols after a couple of drinks. — Tim Quirk Hear It Now! The Ten Greatest Guitar Solos Ever! No Arguments! By Mike McGuirk December 9, 2010 12:45 PM 22 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Guitar solos — whether fast or slow, loud or soft, melodic or dissonant — are one of the identifying characteristics of rock music. In fact, up until hardcore came along, basically every song anybody ever heard had some kind of solo, and usually it was a guitar solo. From the one in "Hound Dog" (a real good one, by Scotty Moore) and all the awesome Chuck Berry moves up to the emergence of Dave Matthews (when rock music died forever), the cramming of notes, grinding of teeth and weird facial expressions of the lead guitarist are time-honored traditions in the rock music of the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s. I've compiled what I consider the best guitar solos available on Rhapsody below. There's no Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix. Please try not to freak out — if you want to hear "Crossroads" or "All Along the Watchtower" turn on the goddamn radio for five seconds (or if you must, you can listen to them here). If they don't play back to back, they'll come on in between some awful Bowie song and a Boston two-fer. Puke. People will also probably yell at me for not having Neil Young on here. That's because I used to really love Neil, but I saw him live once a few years ago and 17 minutes into "Cinnamon Girl" I realized a better word for his oft-cited "distinctive" guitar style is "crappy." It sounds that way because he's out of tune and that "wandering" style actually means he's guessing at what's in key. Anyway, have fun hating this list. Eddie Van Halen "Hot for Teacher" Eddie Van Halen was so far ahead of everybody in the '80s, it was like watching a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Matthew Broderick. Granted, Van Halen needed David Lee Roth's horny circus-performer persona as much as Eddie's unmatched abilities. Still, the dude was never not on fire. Here, he jams blues, swing, hammer-on-mania and blinding speed together before even getting to the solo, which is in some sideways time signature. Robert Quine "Love Comes in Spurts" Speaking of sideways, Robert Quine, a balding law-school graduate and Velvet Underground devotee, comes careening into this pre-punk staple with a chorded karate chop that proves you don't need to shred like Stevie Ray Vaughan to inspire air guitar. "Blank Generation" is another one where Quine's guitar sounds more like someone breaking sheets of glass than playing an instrument.   Continue reading The Ten Greatest Guitar Solos Ever! No Arguments!. single-phile: Big Singles from Big Albums By Rachel Devitt December 9, 2010 10:49 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks The last month and a half or so has experienced some serious star wattage, with big bold-faced names dropping albums right and left. And alongside the Kanyes and Nickis and Black Eyed Peas of the pop universe, we've also been blessed with a bevy of records from the critically acclaimed and the up-and-coming. In short, it's been a good time to be a pop fan. In this edition of single-phile, we home in on the Big! Shiny! New! Albums of the last couple months, and take our guesses at what the biggest single will be (or at least should be, if quality always entailed quantity, that is). Listen up! Artist: Natasha Bedingfield The Big Album: Strip Me The (Potentially) Big Single: "Strip Me" The Strength Behind Its Size: This full-bodied cut from Bedingfield's vibrant third album positively swells with pop exuberance, as her muscular vocals soar over densely layered production lines and big, fat beats. Think '80s excess instead of '80s synth-minimalism.   Artist: Jazmine Sullivan The Big Album: Love Me Back The (Potentially) Big Single: "Luv Back" The Strength Behind Its Size: We love Jazmine's raspy, melisma-accented, high-octane drama, but it's nice to hear her sweet side (albeit one that's still vengeful-lite and intense as hell) on this hip, hopscotching girl-group-esque cut.   Continue reading single-phile: Big Singles from Big Albums. Electronic Music Goes to the Movies By Philip Sherburne December 9, 2010 10:14 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Aside from some characteristically superlative-drenched praise from NME ("If Tron: Legacy is among the most anticipated sequels in all of history, this score blasts away all previous frontiers of excitement for what a movie soundtrack can be"), early reviews of Daft Punk's music for the film have been polite at best. The Chicago Tribune laments that the French electronic superstars "sound less like innovators and more like film-score novices, which they are"; The Guardian sighs, "It's hard not to feel a bit disappointed. As is so often the case with sci-fi, the future hasn't turned out quite as you might have hoped." It's true: Daft Punk's soundtrack to Tron: Legacy, Disney's sequel to the iconic 1982 computer thriller, will leave most fans wanting. Working with an 85-piece orchestra, the duo has turned out a serviceably dramatic score, but also a surprisingly generic one. The strings don't seem to have evolved beyond John Williams' stolid '80s scores, and the tracks with a more electronic foundation aren't much more distinctive. Daft Punk are clearly inspired by the '70s soundtracks of bands like Vangelis (Blade Runner) and Tangerine Dream (Sorcerer), but you can find far more compelling updates of Krautrock's kosmische tradition in the work of artists like Oneohtrix Point Never and Emeralds' Mark McGuire. If Tron: Legacy feels like a missed opportunity, it's because electronic music has such a long, proud history in film soundtracks. Way back in 1956, at a time when Stockhausen was unknown to all but a small circle of avant-garde academics, Louis and Bebe Barron's electronic score to Forbidden Planet introduced similar sounds to mainstream moviegoers; the theremin was in use even earlier, in 1945's Spellbound and Lost Weekend and 1956's The Day the Earth Stood Still. Continue reading Electronic Music Goes to the Movies. Various Artists, Gift Wrapped II: Snowed In By Rhapsody Editorial December 9, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Warner Brothers offers up another stocking stuffer for the music schizophrenic in your life. This sequel to 2009's Gift Wrapped features some returning players, including The Flaming Lips, Regina Spektor and Foxy Shazam. But don't bypass Devo proving robots are nondenominational with the ridiculously awesome "Merry Something to You"; Oasis capturing a post-feast (and wine) Christmas spirit with the sleepy "Merry Christmas Everybody"; Tegan & Sara turning Alvin, Simon and Theodore's hit into a swinging charmer; and Rachael Yamagata's sparse and gorgeous "Baby Come Find Me At Christmas." — Stephanie Benson Hear It Now! Keith Richards' Greatest Riffs By Justin Farrar December 8, 2010 2:10 PM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks There can be no question about the best rock book of 2010: Keith Richards' tell-all autobiography Life. This thing is beyond juicy. Check out this nugget from the section on The Rolling Stones' 1972 tour: In Chicago, there was an acute shortage of hotel rooms, so Hugh Hefner thought it would be a laugh to invite some of us to stay in the Playboy Mansion. I think he regretted it. Hugh Hefner, what a nut. We’ve worked the lowest pimps to the highest, the highest being Hefner. He threw the place open for the Stones, and we were there for over a week. And it’s all plunges in the sauna, and the Bunnies, and basically it’s a whorehouse, which I really don’t like. The memory, however, is very, very hazy. I know we did have some fun there. I know we ripped it up. In celebration of Richards' literary achievements, I put together a massive sampling of the dude's greatest guitar riffs form both his Stones and solo albums. What makes Keef so unique when compared to the rest of the guitar-god pantheon is the fact that he's not a hot-licks shredder like Jimi Hendrix, Slowhand, Jeff Beck et al. Richards is a rhythm guitarist, and a masterful one. The dude has churned out a handful of riffs that are as quoted as the Bible at this point in history. Continue reading Keith Richards' Greatest Riffs. Juanes, P.A.R.C.E. By Sarah Bardeen December 8, 2010 12:48 PM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Finding an American equivalent to the Colombian pop star Juanes is nearly impossible. He is a consummate love-song singer, but he made his name with a single about landmines ("Fijate Bien"). He cut his teeth on Zeppelin but his music draws much of its propulsion from vallenato, the Afro-Colombian cousin to cumbia that has its home on Colombia's north coast. He's political; he's romantic. He's sort of Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift and Boots Riley rolled up into one. And he makes great pop music. But is his new album, P.A.R.C.E., great? His fans might not think so. When he debuted the lead single, "Yerbatero," during the World Cup opening concert earlier this year, it was met with a resounding yawn. He even looked a little nervous playing it. And it never reached the top of the Billboard charts, which is nearly unheard-of for a Juanes single. ("Y No Regresas," the subsequent single, has fared better.) He's messing with the formula that's made him such a reliable chart presence — why? Continue reading Juanes, P.A.R.C.E.. Classic Country Christmas Albums By Linda Ryan December 8, 2010 11:35 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks The Christmas season is here, so what better time than now to dust off some holiday albums? If you are looking to add a touch of twang to your Yuletide, then look no further; we've got ten classic country Christmas albums to suggest. Alan Jackson Honky Tonk Christmas On Honky Tonk Christmas, Alan Jackson eschews the traditional, lush orchestrations so closely associated with holiday music, and instead offers a true country album of country-sounding Christmas music. The reason he gets away with it is because Honky Tonk Christmas only boasts one Christmas standard ("Holly Jolly Christmas"); the rest are newer songs written specifically for a country audience. His touching duet with Alison Krauss on "The Angels Cried" and the heartbreaking "Merry Christmas to Me" are two of many highlights. Others include the Merle Haggard song "If We Make It Through December," "A New Kid in Town" and "Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup Truck," which is sung with the Chipmunks. — Linda Ryan Continue reading Classic Country Christmas Albums. Hip-Hop Roundup By Mosi Reeves December 8, 2010 10:37 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks With 2010 defined by the emcee and his crossover ambitions, from B.o.B's multidisciplinary The Adventures of Bobby Ray to urban radio paeans from Young Money, Bun B and Rick Ross, it's only appropriate that Kanye West, the era's most influential hitmaker, gave a master class on achieving those dreams. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy may set a new benchmark for musical excellence, but it's not the only new album of note this season. Offerings from Kid Cudi, Nicki Minaj and even an incarcerated T.I. help bolster claims that this has been one of the best years for the genre in some time. Meanwhile, Curren$y, Yelawolf and N.E.R.D. subtly expanded the hip-hop vocabulary with standout material. Curren$y Pilot Talk II For anyone who thrilled to Curren$y's excellent major-label debut, Pilot Talk II, released a mere five months after Pilot Talk, offers more of the same. This sequel may sound overly familiar since the New Orleans rapper, Trademark Da Skydiver and Smoke DZA predictably riff on "good weed and broads, spaceships and stars." However, rewind material abounds, from the zoned-out grooves of "Michael Knight" to the languid guitar strolls on "A Gee." "Ain't nothing changed but the weather," he says on "Famous," and his ability to elucidate his bourgeois ambitions with sharp lyricism is all that matters. Continue reading Hip-Hop Roundup. KT Tunstall, Have Yourself a Very KT Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 8, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks On 2010's Tiger Suit, KT Tunstall partially obscured her rocker-chick heart behind crossover-pop production. This 2007 Christmas EP shows how much Chrissie Hynde influenced her, with the note-for-note cover of The Pretenders' "2000 Miles." Tunstall toughens up the oldie "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and charms on an acoustic reading of "Mele Kalikimaka." Tunstall also revives The Pogues' heartrending "Fairytale of New York," with British brooder Ed Harcourt taking Shane MacGowan's place. "Lonely This Christmas," a cover of a glam-rock obscurity by Mud, ends things on a haunting note. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: Fitz & the Tantrums By Lauren Tabak December 7, 2010 6:39 PM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Eat, drink, shop and be merry with Fitz and Noelle from Fitz & the Tantrums as they visit some of their favorite spots in their hometown of Los Angeles, CA. Continue reading Rhapsody Guide to the Galaxy: Fitz & the Tantrums. The Best Albums of 2010 By Rhapsody Editorial December 7, 2010 2:22 PM 6 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks It was as if nobody wanted to admit it was 2010. MGMT released a paean to '60s psyche, Ariel Pink looked back at the '70s and '80s through rose-colored, lo-fi glasses and Broken Bells and Cee-Lo dipped their buckets in the ever-deepening well of '70s soul. LCD Soundsystem plundered '80s avant disco, while Robyn revisited the halcyon days of Swedish pop. On the other end, Janelle Monae peered into the future and saw messianic robots, while Flying Lotus crafted an album that mined the sublime amidst fractured electro future shock. The albums that strained for the zeitgeist -- Kanye West's angry, self-obsessed Fantasy and Arcade Fire's meditation on the mundane crunch of suburban life -- were the most emotionally desperate and revealing. There was more great music, as always, and we've compiled our top 50 albums right here. Also, be sure to check out our list of the top tracks of the year here. 50. School of Seven Bells Disconnect from Desire Disconnect From Desire sounds like it was recorded in either a church filled with synths or a goth club haunted by the ghost of Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band's sophomore album is not a great departure from its first, though the tracks here are slightly more polished. "Heart Is Strange" has the flirty fun of a Goldfrapp song, while tracks like "I L U" and "Camarilla" have all the elements of a Cocteau Twin dream. The hypnotic coos of identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza are nothing but transfixing, as cool to the touch as Benjamin Curtis' dark, jittery guitar and synths. — Stephanie Benson Continue reading The Best Albums of 2010. The Best Albums of 2010, 30-11 By Rhapsody Editorial December 7, 2010 2:21 PM 1 Comment | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Albums:   50-31 |   30-11 |   10-1 30. Matthew Dear Black City After his left turn with 2007's Asa Breed, there are no great surprises on Matthew Dear's Black City. Once again, it sounds like he's spent many a long, dark night holed up in his studio, channeling David Bowie and Ian Curtis through the mic while he fiddles with wine-soaked synthesizers. There's more of a full-band feel here, with ropy electric bass lines and daubs of electric guitar, but it's typically broken into off-kilter electronic rhythms. Even in its moments of disco abandon, Dear's Black City is a claustrophobic place to live. — P.S. 29. M.I.A. MAYA Much has been made of M.I.A.'s "terrorist" tendencies, a reputation she exacerbates on album three. MAYA* is an aural assault, battering the listener with a barrage of repetitive lyrics and sometimes grating waves of sound. This is an album that is designed to alienate. Yet "Born Free"'s high-octane dissonance is, if not likable, then energizing. And fascinating (once your ears stop ringing) pockets of sweetness and quiet exist: the electro-dancehall "It Takes a Muscle" (a cover of '80s Dutch group Spectral Display), the Bollywood-meets-sacred-harp "Tell Me Why." — Rachel Devitt Continue reading The Best Albums of 2010, 30-11. The Best Albums of 2010, 10-1 By Rhapsody Editorial December 7, 2010 2:20 PM 28 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Albums:   50-31 |   30-11 |   10-1 10. Mumford & Sons Sigh No More Standing in the front row of an electrified crowd for the opening of Mumford & Sons' set this year at Lollapalooza, I watched a practically hyperventilating girl toss a frayed John Steinbeck paperback at the feet of frontman Marcus Mumford, as if it were a bouquet of roses. As he sang the first lines of "Sigh No More," the titular lead track off the band's debut, Mumford looked down at the book and smiled, as if to say, "How fitting." It's no secret that Mumford borrows lyrical imagery from the Great Depression-era novelist (not to mention fashion tips: he and his band resemble a 1920s traveling revue), but what was a secret, at least around February of 2010, was just how earnest and ebullient an effort he makes doing it. But that secret got out quick. Mumford & Sons spent practically the entire year on the road, moving from small clubs to main stages in a hurry as word of their impassioned sound -- the seeming lovechild of Neutral Milk Hotel and Billy Bragg --got around. Perhaps their success has something to do with context: in these cynical times, Mumford's frightfully earnest messages of love conquering all provide a welcome comfort; the band's somewhat antiquarian sound -- a mishmash of acoustic guitars, mandolins, double-bass, etc. -- is at once a throwback and a reminder that there's still plenty of life to wring from the past, not to mention assorted literary heroes. — G.K. Continue reading The Best Albums of 2010, 10-1. The Best Tracks of 2010 By Rhapsody Editorial December 7, 2010 2:20 PM 27 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Maybe it says something about 2010 that the year's most ubiquitous and demographic-defying song was a chirpy '70s soul retread entitled "F*ck You," or that Kanye West's "Power," the most ambitious pop single of the year, paraphrased a quote from Malcom X in an effort to deify hip-hop's reigning enfant terrible. It was that type of year, people, and the songs that we selected as our top 50 tracks are strange, funky, heartfelt and confrontational slices of magnificent pop music. Whether you agree or not, leave us a comment, and don't forget that you can listen to a playlist of all these tracks right here. Also, be sure to check out our list of the top albums of the year right here. 50. Far*East Movement feat. The Cataracs and Dev, "Like A G6" 49. The Sword, "(The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire" 48. Vybz Kartel ft. Popcaan and Gaza Slim, "Clarks" 47. Ciara, "Ride" 46. M.I.A. , "Born Free" 45. Miranda Lambert, "The House That Built Me" Continue reading The Best Tracks of 2010. Old School Is New Again: Soul Veterans Still on the Charts By Chuck Eddy December 7, 2010 10:45 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Three decades into hip-hop's recorded lifespan, in this time of Auto-Tune and ringtone hooks and hashtag rhymes, R&B is a music addicted to newness — to not sounding "dated." So it's refreshing that, every now and then, an artist from soul music's distant past will still find his or her way onto R&B stations. Quite often, the catapulting factor seems to be a younger star who's always been a fan and who sets out to champion an inspirational legend's comeback, perhaps to pay off a debt for having been influenced in the first place. Below are a whole bunch of old-schoolers — singers born, say, in the mid-'50s or earlier (before Prince and Michael Jackson in 1958, at least) — who've charted in the current era. Smokey Robinson was born in 1940; his first charting single with The Miracles, "Bad Girl," came at the tail end of the '50s. He now records for his own label, RobSo Records. But his most recent album, Time Flies When You're Having Fun, reached the Top 10 of the R&B chart in 2009; its single, "Love Bath," reached No. 83 and did even better on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.   Continue reading Old School Is New Again: Soul Veterans Still on the Charts. Diana Krall, Christmas Songs By Rhapsody Editorial December 7, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Even though the awkward cover shot offers further proof that Verve is running out of ways to show off Diana Krall's (admittedly shapely) legs, the lady herself still sounds at the top of her game. This is one of the best holiday platters in years, with a big band joining Krall and her trio on swinging the Xmas classics. The band charts were written by John Clayton and the brilliant Johnny Mandel; drummer Jeff Hamilton deserves some extra nog for his propulsive work here. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Erran Baron Cohen Presents: Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah By Rhapsody Editorial December 6, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Yes, he's of that Baron Cohen family, and for all the humor his clan is known for, this release is an unironic delight that finally gives much-neglected Hanukkah music the updating it needs. In Baron Cohen's hands, "Ocho Kandelikas" becomes a neo-tango burner featuring Ladino-singing diva Yasmin Levy, and "Hanukkah oh Hanukkah" heads for hip-hop territory, thanks to the stylings of Y-Love, a convert to Judaism. Baron Cohen's hit it on the money here, giving these songs equal measures of soul and hard-partying fun. — Sarah Bardeen Hear It Now! Video Interview: El DeBarge By Lauren Tabak December 6, 2010 8:36 AM 1 Comment | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Watch this candid interview with El DeBarge in which he talks to Rhapsody's Garrett Kamps about addiction, redemption and his new album Second Chance . Watch The Box vs. The Band Perry Watch The Box vs. Taylor Swift Watch The Box vs. Lady Gaga Watch The Box vs. Zac Brown Eric Reed, Merry Magic By Rhapsody Editorial December 5, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks On this delightful Christmas release, jazz pianist Eric Reed looks back to the hard-swinging chamber bop groups like the MJQ and the funkier Mastersounds (the vibraphonist Steve Nelson gets equal time as a soloist, further recalling these two groups). Reed's in prime form, and takes most Christmas standards away from the melody without destroying the seasonal feel of the material. Paula West, Erin Bode and Eric Reed himself offer welcome vocal contributions. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Various Artists, A Very Magistery Christmas By Rhapsody Editorial December 4, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks There are plenty of worthy indie rock Christmas comps out there. Forced to choose one, we'd go with this surprisingly warm set from the Magistery label. Stars are the breakout stars of the label; both they and the clever Pas/Cal have two offerings each. The Scarboro Aquarium Club may only exist to place songs on Magistery holiday collections, but their lo-fi tune is sweet. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Sting, If On a Winter's Night By Rhapsody Editorial December 3, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Sting, paired with classical producer Robert Sadin, goes back to ancient times on this austere seasonal ode to winter on the British Isles. "The Snow It Melts the Soonest" comes from his native Newcastle (Sting actually sings in his regional, Northern accent), but the most gripping tune is "Christmas at Sea," which marries the narrative sea shanty with dreams of home and hearth. He also wrote two numbers himself: "Lullaby for an Anxious Child" fits in with the classical material, while the undeniable hooks of "The Hounds of Winter" prove that Sting is still a fine pop songwriter. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Source Material: Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt By Mosi Reeves December 2, 2010 10:07 AM 2 Comments | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks When Jay-Z released Reasonable Doubt in the summer of 1996, few heard it as a major work. Some critics praised the album's intricately rendered storyline — a drug dealer who wants to reform his life. Others gave it strong reviews while noting similarities to Mafioso rap titles such as Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, as well as Jay-Z's friendship with Brooklyn don The Notorious B.I.G. Then as now, Jay-Z drew fussy criticism for being a master stylist, not an innovator. There was a lot riding on Reasonable Doubt. Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, his business partners in Roc-A-Fella Records, stoked feverish anticipation among New York tastemakers for Jay-Z's debut. The 26-year-old emcee had kicked around the industry for a decade, first appearing as a sidekick to mentor Jaz-O, and then landing guest shots with Big Daddy Kane, Original Flavor and others. A deal with Payday Records, which yielded the 1995 buzz single "In My Lifetime," had fallen through, so the Roc-A-Fella team joined forces with Priority Records. Many in the industry felt that Reasonable Doubt was Jay-Z's best and last shot at stardom. Today, Reasonable Doubt is hailed as one of the greatest debuts in the hip-hop canon. Despite the album's familiar contours, Jay-Z dazzles with his use of metaphors and phrases with double meanings. His lyrics are ever-flowing. He has since become famous for reciting them from memory, but if he actually wrote them down on paper they would have tumbled off the page. "Confidentially speaking in code" and dropping rhymes that demand repeat listens, he employs technical virtuosity as a contrast to the palpable emotion in his performance. "Can I live?" he asks, but it sounds like a demand. You can hear the hunger and pain in his voice. Reasonable Doubt is one of the last great albums of New York's mid-'90s boom-bap period. Yet it presciently revealed how the era would evolve from realistic and remorseful street themes to the unrepentant cartoon violence of thug rap. The period's cool and melancholy jazz and downtempo grooves soon yielded to "jiggy" and club bounce. By including both the languid "Dead Presidents II" and the bumping "Ain't No N*gga," Jay-Z proved that he had not only learned from the culture's glorious underground past, but would be a leader in its glittery mainstream future. The following spring, The Notorious B.I.G.'s posthumous Life After Death and Diddy's No Way Out would change East Coast hip-hop forever. Jay-Z was the heir apparent. Continue reading Source Material: Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt. Tim McGraw, Number One Hits By Rhapsody Editorial December 2, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks Tim McGraw's earlier hits collections have been an uneven affair, but this effort hits the bull's-eye. Everything you'd expect to find is here, including early hits such as "Don't Take the Girl" and "I Like It, I Love It," big ballads like "Watch the Wind Blow By" and the Faith Hill duet "It's Your Love." Tim McGraw has had at least one No. 1 song every year since 1994. Sometimes it takes a hits collection like this to remind us exactly how potent his music is. — Linda Ryan Hear It Now! Electronic Roundup By Philip Sherburne December 1, 2010 5:18 PM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks November and December often seem to be bountiful months for electronic music, much to the consternation of music writers who find themselves scrambling to re-sort their year-end lists. Teebs' Ardour, released on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label, had that effect on me: fusing the left-field beats of his Los Angeles scene with Gamelan-like bell tones, it offers the kind of hybrid between hip-hop and ambient music that I've always wanted to hear, but never thought possible. There are plenty such surprises in this month's roundup of new and recent releases, from Brandt Brauer Frick's acoustic chamber techno to Luke Abbott's jewel-toned electronica; and for those just looking to dance, the Phenomenal Handclap Band and Catz 'n Dogz have plenty to offer. Teebs Ardour If the debut album from Los Angeles' Teebs (aka Mtendere Mandowa) reminds you of Flying Lotus, that's probably OK: after all, FlyLo released it on his Brainfeeder label. Like other producers in his circle, Teebs' style is obviously hip-hop in its genetics, but it's evolved far beyond the genre's boom-bap roots. Rhythmically, his beats have as much to do with dubstep as hip-hop, but it's the textures that really set him apart. Full of bells, harp, flutes, strings and clicky percussion, his tracks thrum rather than thump, with a gentle rush like a rainstick filled with feathers. Continue reading Electronic Roundup. Dean Martin, A Winter Romance By Rhapsody Editorial December 1, 2010 10:00 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks There are dozens of Dino Xmas comps out there. Forget about 'em -- his original concept album A Winter Romance is the one you want. First off, look at that album cover: Dino is hugging one snow bunny while eyeing a Swedish number who is heading for the slopes. And the music is just as good, matching a romantic holiday narrative full of intrigue with seasonal favorites that even the kiddies can enjoy. — Nick Dedina Hear It Now! Soundtracks from Treasured Holiday TV Specials & Movies By Nick Dedina December 1, 2010 1:22 AM | PERMALINK | No TrackBacks A treasured few really enjoy the holidays every December. They go skiing with supermodels one year and then go snorkeling with ultra-supermodels the next. The rest of us seem to enjoy a sense of tradition. We get together with the same family and friends on the same date to eat the exact same thing as we usually eat. Thankfully, there is TV to save us and offer up traditions that really matter. The same Americans that shun old black-and-white movies embrace It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle On 34th Street every December. Beer-pounding truck drivers scoff at musicals 11 months out of the year but make sure they watch The Sound of Music every year with their kids. And, then of course, there are the great TV specials — like A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — that can be enjoyed in entirely new ways as you get older. The music continues to work a strange magic on generations of listeners. Vince Guaraldi's piano jazz score matches both the eternal coolness of A Charlie Brown Christmas and the seasonal melancholy at the cartoon's heart. The decidedly strange Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer not only has Burl Ives crooning "Silver & Gold" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas," it also has an elf singing about how he really wants to be a dentist. Meanwhile, Elf turns kids of all ages onto the timeless music of Louis Prima and Ella Fitzgerald. These treasured soundtracks sail up the Rhapsody charts every December around the same time that Nat King Cole busts Eminem in the chops. Not every seasonal delight offers musical delights, but we've pulled together the greatest soundtracks and scores from a number of holiday specials and movies. So, enjoy ... singing along to these is a whole lot funner than being forced to sit next to your golf-obsessed Uncle Ned every year while you pretend to enjoy a plate of dry turkey. Check these soundtracks out. They may save your Christmas and let you realize once again that TV saves lives. Continue reading Soundtracks from Treasured Holiday TV Specials & Movies. « November 2010 | Main Index | Archives | January 2011 » Rhapsody's Album Guides Best Albums of 2010: Christian/Gospel It was a year that marked the return of...More Best Albums of 2010: Latin It was a quite a year in Latin music....More Best Albums of 2010: Hip-Hop This may be the year when hip-hop artists re-embraced...More Best Albums of 2010: Jazz Going over the long list of jazz releases from...More Best Albums of 2010: 10 Best Reissues and Compilations New music need not apply, people. 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