Brooklyn til I Die

damn, son. hold your horses, fish or cut bait, shit or get off the pot. IT IS TIME. i'm different from you, yes'sir, I am. I don't listen to cutting edge jams, the newest of the new. I don't know many 2011 albums, but I know a few -- and of those few, I have 5 (cinco, cinq) favorites.

y'all ready for this?

5. The Leaving - Lee Miles

I know this man. Seriously. I know that you are probably jealous. This album was released in January of 2011 - one year ago. It's a comfort music, a rustic, blood flowing through my veins, welcome home sound. Lee Miles deserves about one billion more times recognition than he gets. He's a great song writer, amazing singer, beautiful musician and my friend on facebook. (Boom, baby) Bigger bands with similar sounds need to be dethroned by The Leaving, in my opinion. Do yourselves a favor, pick this up.
Favorite Track: Where Nebulae Die

4. nostalgia, ultra - Frank Ocean

New to R&B and eager, I've fallen in love with Frank Ocean. I don't know what to listen for, what to praise, what to say - just that, his voice... *sigh* his voice. Other than that, let's see... hmmm.. he's on, like, *every body's* list this year. That has got to say something. Truth and feelings and taking political stances and being smooth as hell will get you places, I guess. As I explore more R&B and I mautre my preferences, I'll be more thorough about what stands out... I am excited about my developing tastes, and I'm glad this is a journey I'm taking with Frank Ocean.
Favorite Track: American Wedding (I know, I know - I'm so predictable)

3. Deceiver - Jon Keller

I have one question for you -- can you even believe this guy? I mean, seriously?? First, let's start out by segregating the very first sounds to bring us into this album.. dammit. Innovative and ballsy. Jon Keller is one hell of a musician, all the way around. He embodies passion for music and has the artistic follow-through needed to pull off this sophomore album. Vocals are beautiful on all 10 tracks and the lyrics parallel the sound. Sometimes, when, in the quiet, I'm thinking about how lucky I am, I can't believe he's one of my best friends. Some one so talented shouldn't even know I exist.
Noteworthy moments in the album: catchy riff throughout Coaxed (track 3), truthful pains during A Bottle Tonight (track 5), nearly tangible, unprecedented anger during Face the Facts augmented by the creepy dark circus keyboarding at mark 2:15(track 9)..
Favorite Track: Pangs

2. Take Care - Drake

Excuse me for a moment while I bring the tempo down to a sexy beat. Okay, ready? Featuring big names in the commercial pop hip hop world, this album kicks tons of asses and remains introspective and not as trite as the Sprite advertisement might make you think... This is a smooth, humming 3am album, but be warned: a warm wine buzz is appropriate for this slightly melancholy, slightly narcissistic album. I love it. Mostly, I'm not one to pick apart the nuances that make something great -- when it's great, you feel it. And here we are, Drake. An awkwardly misplaced white girl in the mid-west has fallen in love with you. Congratulations.
Favorite Track: Under Ground Kings

1. Watch the Throne - Jay-Z & Kanye West

Don't even tell me you didn't see this coming. I can't help it. I tried this year, I really did. It can't be helped. God damn these beats, y'all - from the first second, I'm captivated. Why? Everything. Every reason. Seriously. I don't know if I'm envious or just totally snowed, but come on! Hova and Ye - bringing it. I feel like I didn't know it, but all my life I was waiting on this album. The seriously, deep rooted narcissism really speaks to me. I know! I'm shrugging my shoulders at my musical tastes, too. It's like a star-crossed love affair, but embracing it is what I choose. Let's talk about how cool it is to be so rich AND TO BRAG ABOUT IT when so many people are poor... IT'S NOT COOL, but i love it. I can't, with a clear conscience, defend this. So, I won't try. They compliment each other well, don't they? Their voices, their visions, their moneys... *sigh* Oh man. It's big time for me during Otis. I'm just like, "yeah, yeah, yeah" supplemented with fist pumps the whole song. ((who am I?)) I KNEW I shouldn't have read that article about Jay in GQ this fall, but I did, and that's what cleared it up for me: I'm a fan. And I've always been. Ye rules, too, don't get me wrong with his attention to detail and stylish, very contemporary lyrics... but Jay-Z, he's it for me this year. 2011 belongs to him. Throw your hands up, Leo. Surrender. Jay is king of the world.
Favorite Track(s): (TIED) Gotta Have It and Made In America