Best Music You've Already Heard Of

So I'm going through the new records I listened to this year. I spent most of the first two months listening to last year's best new music so I had a little bit of catching up to do. There was a lot of stuff I didn't really like all that much. Thought it would be difficult to make a list this year but it wasn't. Traditionally I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop, dance or soul music but this year marked a drastic change. Maybe I'm mellowing out as I approach my 30s. Then again, Refused's Shape of Punk to Come re-master has been in my rotation a lot recently. And early Replacements. God, I love the Replacements.

I want to start, however, with the album I was most disappointed in - the Hold Steady's Heaven is Whenever. There's something missing without keyboardist Franz Nicolay. Their last two records are two of my favourites of the last five years but this one wasn't on the same level. It wasn't a horrible record but the anthematic, Springsteen-esque rock just overpowers the bar stool poet vibe.

What did I like? Several hip-hop records caught my attention this year. Kid Cudi, the Roots, and Kanye West all released excellent records this year. Drake's full-length was a little too mainstream for my tastes but again it wasn't horrible, just not great. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is awesome, but West's ego is almost too much for me. I mean, I love his media persona. And the music is as good as the hype says it is. But I got the record less than two weeks ago so it hasn't had time to sit with me like the rest. Ask me in a month to see if cracks the top five.

Soul revivalist Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings latest project was fantastic yet again. They didn't break any new ground but it doesn't sound old or lazy. The music swings and grooves like all the great soul music does. Worth listening to again and again.

So I'm talking about a bunch of records, but these aren't even the beginning of the list. Here's my top five:

5. The New Pornographers - Together

Once again Carl Newman and company release a great pop record. Like their previous offerings, this album is steeped in harmonies, catch melodies, and Neko Case; all the stuff I like. HOWEVER, it sounds like the last record and the one before that. Nothing new but still worth listening to.

4. Broken Bells - Broken Bells

Danger Mouse makes records I like. The Shins make a couple of great records. Combine the two and you get a Postal Service that isn't as electro-pop. A nice chill record.

3. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

Where did Janelle Monae come from? To call this album eclectic is an understatement. Do some of the experiments work better than others? Yes, but she's taking a chance. It's got a little of everything and does it well. The singles off this record, Tightrope and Cold War, are very, very strong. I haven't master the Tightrope dance yet. Give a little longer.

2. The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

I haven't been a huge fan of Montreal's the Arcade Fire in the past. Funeral and Neon Bible were good records but they didn't capture my attention. The Suburbs, however, does. A concept record whose tracks work on their own.


1. Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1

While Body Talk Pt. 2 and Pt.3 are excellent, Robyn's first EP (and first release in almost five years) is the best of the year for me. Hell, the rest of the record could have been horrible but with a single like Dancing on my own... well, Robyn had me. Seriously, it's the best song in at least three years. A lean record with only nine tracks, it's fantastic. The full-length compilation of all three Body Talk was release this week and I'm thinking of picking it up. I love Dancing on my own that much.