Let's get started with this year's roundup:
Christian John Wikane, NYC, music journalist
Brothertunes: "Starship" (Nation Music) produced by Van Hunt; awesome
Gnarls Barkley: "Going On" (Downtown) I'm going with 'em
Richie Havens: "Lives in the Balance" (Verve) truth embodied
Angela Johnson/Rahsaan Patterson: "Dream Flight" (Purpose) fierece combination
Labelle: "Candlelight" (Verve) those harmonies!
Little Jackie: "28 Butts" (S-Curve) capital "A" attitude
Maiysha: "Wanna Be" (Eusonia) BEST NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR!
Janelle Monae: "Many Moons" (Wondaland/Bad Boy) a re-release from '07 but still outshines the competition
Santogold: "I'm a Lady" (Downtown) gets better the louder it's played
SugaRush Beat Company: "L-O-V-E" (RCA) a s-u-p-e-r-b track; destined to break in the U.S.
Donna Summer: "Science of Love" (Burgundy) she can still rock out!
George Tisdale: "Dream Snatchers" (Murry Media) keep your eyes open for this guy
TV on the Radio: "Golden Age" (Interscope) they know how to layer sound; great pre-chorus on this one
Stone, DC, blogger and sonic aficionado, thecouchsessions.com
Future – "Sons of Man" (dope hip/hop/rock/reggae band out of Virginia/DC)
Bullets over Romance – "Last Call for Love" (another great DC band)
Santogold – Santogold
TV On The Radio – Dear Science
Bloc Party – "Biko"
Kanye West – "Coldest Winter"
Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple
Honorable Mention – The Noisettes – What's the Time Mr. Wolf? – This
album was released in 2007 but I just got it over the summer and it's
one of the best Black Rock releases in the past few years.
Fiona Bloom, Brooklyn, NY- International Tastemaker/Publicist/Blogger–The Bloom Effect
1. Kameron Corvet- ‘Korporate Rockstar’
2. Maya Azucena ‘ Get It Together’ – single- download- (Purpose Records)
3. MadCon- ‘So Dark The Con of Man’- Bonnier/Sony(Norway)
4. Heston ‘ Storyteller’- World Soul
5. Kissey Asplund- ‘Plethora’- R2 Records (Sweden)
6. Kuku- ‘Absence of Cool’- CD
7. Proton- Red and Purple Vol 1 Mixtape
8. Kery James- ‘A L’ombre Du Showbusiness- France
9. George Duke ‘ Dukey Treats’- BPM
10. Sy Smith- ‘Conflict’.
Brian Michel Bacchus, NYC – producer/remixer–Soulfeast Music
Richie Havens Nobody Left To Crown
Ilana Lorraine Demos
Okou EP
Ayo Joy
Chico Hamilton Alternate Dimensions
Somi African Lady (SoulFeast Mixes)
Nina Simone Box :: To Be Free
Joaquin Claussell Unchained Rhythms Pts. 1&2
Lucky Peterson The NYC Soul Sessions (3CDS)
Overproof 3 Guys Walk Into A Bar
VIva ELectric Cabaret vols. 1 & 2
Cecil Henry, Brooklyn, NY – Urban Product Group
Thembisa Mshaka, NYC, Author of "Handle Your (Entertainment) Biz" (2009)
Sez Thembisa: "Definitely TV on the Radio, One Day As A Lion, and my fave this year: Santogold!"
Raymond Gayle, Houston, TX–Director/Producer, "Electric Purgatory"
Sez Ray: "'Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker' is now out of DVD!"
Alexis Peskine, Brooklyn, NY, artist and Fulbright scholar
