In The Christmas Groove - Various Artists

In The Christmas Groove (2009)


This album came out last year but I didn't hear about it til this year.  My dad had a very soft spot for quirky songs, but especially holiday songs.  He would put together mixes (on cassette, yes cassette!) for the annual Christmas party at his friends Ted & Peggy Claire's house.  I figured my brother and I could use a break from some of those more overplayed & emotionally-scarring songs. (really: Yogi Yorgesson's "I Yust Go Nuts Ay Christmas"? No thanks!)
Big ups to the fine folks at Strut for saving Christmas with some funk!!

Favorite: Funk Machine - "Soul Santa"; J.D. McDonald - "Boogaloo Santa"; The Black On White Affair - "Auld Lang Syne" - so, so funky!

Christmas Remixed

Christmas Remixed by Various Artists (2003)


Favorites: Dean Martin - "Jingle Bells" (Dan the Automator remix); Charles Brown - "Merry Christmas Baby" (MNO remix)

Go - Jónsi

Go by Jónsi (2010)


first time solo album from this Sigur Rós front man.

Favorite: "Boy Lilikoi"

New York City Live - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

New York City Live by Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (2007)

Favorites: "Juke Box" "War"

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West (2010)

Favorite: "Monster" (ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj &Bon Iver) - Nicki kind of kills this!! I was a hater until I heard her verse on this song.
"Who Will Survive In America" - I always loved me some Gil-Scott Heron tho!

The Bright Mississippi - Allen Toussaint

The Bright Mississippi by Allen Toussaint (2009)

Favorite: "Dear Old Southland" "Blue Drag" "Solitude"

Shapeshifters - Invincible

Shapeshifters - Invincible (2008)


Powerful Detroit hip hop.


Favorite: "Sledgehammer"

Something For Everybody - Devo

Something For Everybody by Devo (2010)

a lot of fun! I mean, the end of "Don't Shoot (I'm A Man)" is a refrain, 3 times, of "Don't taze me, bro!"

Favorite: "Fresh"

Ya-Ma-Kay - Galactic

Ya-Ma-Kay by Galactic (2010)

Pretty solid from start to finish. There are only a few songs that I didn't really like but overall it's winning!

Favorites: "Boe Money" (ft. The Rebirth Bras Band); "Heart Of Steel" (ft. Irma Thomas); "Katey vs. Nobby" (ft. Katey Red & Sissy Nobby); "Dark Water" (ft. John Boutte)

LotusFlow3r: MplSound - Prince

LotusFlow3r: MplSound by Prince (2009)


wow, he took it back to the sound of the "Purple Rain" days!

Favorite: "Crimson & Clover" -Prince's version of a mash up with "Wild Thing"! "Here" "4ever" "Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful" "$"

From The Home Of Brown Babies & White Mothers - Big Quarters

From The Home Of Brown Babies & White Mothers by Big Quarters (2009)


Minneapolis hip hop. Mostly mellow and soulful. word!

Favorites: "All Day Long" "Good Look"

like their video, too.

Surfing The Void - Klaxons

Surfing The Void by Klaxons (2010)

Favorite: "Venusia" "Flashover" - intro & chorus are HARD!! (not so into the verses)

My Way - Lady Saw

My Way by Lady Saw (2010)

Don't really like most of the songs on here.

Favorite: "Every Way Mi Go" "I'm A Woman"

The Red, White & Black - The BellRays

The Red, White & Black - The BellRays (2005)


A little less polished than I like, but her voice is amazing!

Favorite: "Black Is The Color"

Go Go Power - Sugar Pie DeSanto

Go Go Power: The Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966 by Sugar Pie DeSanto (2009)


Today is the 5 year anniversary of my father passing away. (and I'm in NYC to see my friend Christina's play, "Bandage", at FightFest at the Brick Theater. No moping here!) In his honor, I wanted to share an album by an amazing, joyous, soulful lady from the bay area: something he surely would have enjoyed.

Favorites: "In The Basement" (ft. Etta James) - Until I heard this album, I had never realized she sang this - one of my favorite soul songs!
"Use What You Got" "Can't Let You Go" "Soulful Dress"


check her out! She may be an old lady but she is GETTIN' IT!


and a bonus video, because she's that amazing. A tiny lady with a HUGE voice.

$O$ - Die Antwoord

$O$ - Die Antwoord (2010)

weird South African hip hop.

I'm posting this today in honor of my friend Christina "Kit" Bihun because she loves them & I'm heading to NYC today to see her new play, Bandage, as part of FightFest at the Brick Theater.

I didn't originally like Die Antwoord, but after listening to the full album a couple times through, there are a few stand out tracks.

Favorite: "Fish Paste" "She Makes Me A Killer"

Least Favorite: "Enter The Ninja" "Rich Bitch"

Wild Young Hearts - Noisettes

Wild Young Hearts - Noisettes (2009)

Favorites: "Don't Upset The Rhythm" "Never Forget You" 

24-Hour Karate School - Ski Beatz

24-Hour Karate School - Ski Beatz (2010)


Favorite: "Prowler 2" (ft. Jean Grae, Jay Electronica, Mos Def & Joell Ortiz); "Back Uptown" (ft. Camp Lo)

Also notable, but not actually on the officially released album is Mos Def's track of the same name: 24-Hour Karate School

The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monáe

The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monáe (2010)

took me a while to really appreciate this album: it's really long (at 18 tracks) so there's a lot to digest. She's pretty involved - makes sense that Big Boi would work with her, he's used to dealing with really unusual but hugely talented characters!

Favorites: "Tightrope" ft. Big Boi, "Locked Inside" "Mushrooms & Roses" "Wondaland"

First caught glimpse of her in the video for "Tightrope" - embedding has been disabled but you can peep for yourself some of her charisma & style to see why I liked her http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc"here

Least Favorite: "Come Alive (The War Of The Roses)"

Plastic Beach - Gorillaz

Plastic Beach by Gorillaz (2010)

strangely my most favorite songs are not the ones with the hip hop guest appearances (Mos Def, De La Soul), tho I do like the intro with Snoop Dogg & The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

Favorites: "White Flag" (ft. Kano, Bashy & The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music) "To Binge" (ft. Little Dragon)

Odd Blood - Yeasayer

Odd Blood - Yeasayer (2010)

Really enjoying this album. One of my favorites of 2010, for sure. I just keep coming back to it.

Favorites: "Mondegreen" "O.N.E." "Ambling Alp"


"O.N.E." by Yeasayer from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

Into The Wind - Bei Bei & Shawn Lee

Into The Wind by Bei Bei & Shawn Lee (2010)


If you like Wu-Tang Clan & their old-school Shaolin Kung-Fu movie samples, you'll love this album! Bei Bei, a traditional performer of the Gu Zheng (classical Chinese stringed instrument, it resembles a harp), teams up with Shawn Lee, a California-based hip hop producer from the Ubiquity Records camp.

Favorites: "Whiskey Waltz" "Willingness" "The Master Room" "Hot Thursday"

I Learned The Hard Way - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

I Learned The Hard Way by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (2010)


I've already mentioned these guys. They still got it!

Favorites: "Money" "She Ain't A Child No More" "If You Call"

The Lady Killer - Cee-Lo Green

The Lady Killer by Cee-Lo Green (2010)


Highly anticipated 3rd solo album by this Atlanta native.  Unfortunately, it's kind of hit or miss, tho some of the songs have grown on me over repeat listens.

Favorites: "Bright Lights, Bigger City"



"F*ck You" "Love Gun" ft. Lauren Bennett

Most people have already seen & talked about his video for "F*ck You" but if you were under a rock somewhere for the past few months, here it is.