Anthony Gonzalez, the French wonder-musician behind M83, has been dazzling with his electro-shoegazing music for a decade now. And his latest album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, is by far his most ambitious outing to date. A 22 song, double album, it's epic in its shear scale and effort. Fortunately, the album is also packed full of music that lives up to the ambition. While many of the songs have an early '80's synth sound to them, the album feels quite contemporary. I really like how Gonzalez is less interested in creating pop songs, than a body of work filled with richly textured pieces that create a great listening atmosphere and space.
Midnight City
Little Bird
Last year I made the mistake of not including The Roots' album, How I Got Over, as one of my favorite album picks of the year. A year later, it is one of the albums released last year that I listen to on a regular basis. What was I thinking? I have always appreciated and loved The Roots incredible combination of musicianship and social consciousness that permeates their lyrics. And Undun is another absolutely stunning and phenomenal album that blends the two perfectly. Described as the existential retelling of the life of a fictional street hustler named Redford Stephens, the album follows his brief rise and fall. It's a gripping and tragic story, and it should not be missed.
Make My
I was always a fan of Amy Winehouse. As much as I liked Back In Black, her sophomore-break through album, it was her debut album, Frank that really grabbed me. She was only 19 at the time, but she sang with the power, confidence, and knowledge of someone who was much older. She magnificently blended influences of of soul, jazz, and blues from decades that came and went..decades before she was born. On Lioness: Hidden Treasures, I am once again reminded at how special Winehouse was at interpreting the music that so heavily influenced her and how she was so easily able to make it relevant, exciting, and fun.
Best Friends, Right?
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