The Shining

I was looking for some peace in my day and remembered this classic, gorgeous track from Badly Drawn Boy. It takes me somewhere calm and is my song of the day.

Albums of the year

My picks for my favorite albums this year:

Blue Scholars
Bayani

This album has been rocking my world. Really lovely, conscious, thoughtful hip-hop. The song Morning of America is my favorite of the year - alas can't find it online for the link. Enjoy however Back Home, a powerful if a little on-the-nose anthem, NorthbyNorthwest, a delightful self-introduction and Ordinary Guys, a cute alternative to aggrandizement. Their first album is great, too.


Brother Ali
The Undisputed Truth

Incredible album for the albino rapper - Truth Is, sadly bleeped, makes me feel like I'm already free. I also love Daylight and his intro to Uncle Sam Goddamn quotes Nina Simone's classic line "this is a show tune, but the show hasn't been written for it... yet" and that made me very happy.


The White Stripes
Icky Thump

You already know about this one, unless, you know, you don't rock. Rag and Bone is my favorite track.

The Cat Empire
So Many Nights

Great third (and a half) album from The Cats. No Longer There is a beautiful song, Fishes is up there with their classic good time tunes like Hello Hello, but for me the best track is The Darkness, which is clearly Harry-led and shows the influence of his work on the Jackson Jackson album. I need to figure out how to host mp3s.

Feist
The Reminder

Talking of triumphant Nina Simone covers. Feist makes me happy.


Bruce Springsteen
Magic

Girls in Their Summer Clothes, to blatantly steal from the Onion Avclub, is the best Magnetic Fields song Bruce ever wrote. And Living in the Future stops me fretting about all this happening yet. His live in Belfast album, also out this year is also good news, it's all his classics but redone in the Seeger Sessions folk style.