July 2009
- Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do [Explicit]
[Downtown 2009]
- Chali 2na – Fish Outta Water
[Decon 2009]
- Slaid Cleaves – Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away
[Music Road 2009]
- Zee Avi – Zee Avi
[Brushfire Records 2009]
- Lady Saw – Extra Raw: The First Lady of Dancehall
[VP Records 2009]
- Aswad – City Lock [Rhythm Riders 2009]
- Rhett Miller – Rhett Miller
[Shout! Factory 2009]
- Mishka – Above The Bones
[J.K. Livin Records 2009]
- Bob Dylan – Together Through Life
[Columbia 2009]
- Micachu – Jewellery
[Rough Trade 2009]
- Scientist – International Heroes Dub [Tameki Wambesi Dove 2009]
- Mojo Morgan – got Mojo?
[Gedion Soldiers 2009]
- The Lemonheads – Varshons
[The End Records 2009]
- The Aggrolites – IV
[Hellcat 2009]
- The Low Anthem – Oh My God Charlie Darwin
[Nonesuch 2009]
- Various Artists – Riddim Driven: Sweet
[VP Records 2009]
- Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
[Jagjaguwar 2009]
- Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses – Roadhouse Sun (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)
[Lost Highway Records 2009]
- Eminem – Relapse [Explicit]
[Aftermath Records 2009]
- Jason Lytle – Yours Truly, The Commuter
[Anti/Epitaph 2009]
- Todd Snider – The Excitement Plan
[Yep Roc Records 2009]
- Son Volt – American Central Dust
[Rounder Records 2009]
- Mos Def – The Ecstatic
[Downtown 2009]
- Levon Helm – Electric Dirt [Amazon Exclusive]
[Vanguard 2009]
- Tanya Morgan – Brooklynati [Explicit]
[Independent Media/iM Culture 2009]
- Doom – Born Like This. [Explicit]
[Lex Records 2009]
- Laura Izibi – Let The Truth Be Told [Deluxe]
[Atlantic 2009]
- J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid [Explicit]
[Nature Sounds 2009]
- St. Vincent – Actor (Amazon Exclusive)
[4AD 2009]
- Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs – Under The Covers: Vol. 2
[Shout! Factory 2009]
- Wilco – Wilco [The Album]
[Nonesuch 2009]
Diplo and Switch present Major Lazer
‘s Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do with special guests Santogold
, Mr. Lex
, Vybz Kartel
, T.O.K
., Mr Vegas, and many more. The creative DJ/producer duo amalgamates and mashes up tunes sampling from soca, calypso, merengue, and reggae, dropping fat beats, gun blasts, reggae air horns, and choice samples. An example of one of the more interesting and creative cuts is “Baby,” which adds an auto-tune to a crying baby. The killer reggae track on this work is “Can’t Stop Now,” which features Mr. Vegas
and Jovi Rockwell. The harmonic Rockwell and Mr. Vegas create an easy-sounding classic reggae track among the hard-pounding dance jams. The track “Hold The Line
” samples surf guitars from Dick Dale And His Del-Tones
classic “Misirlou
,” adding heavy beats and the vocal duo of Mr. Lex
and Santogold. Some of my personal favorites on this album include the rough shod “Bruk Out” featuring T.O.K
and Ms. Thing
; “Cash Flow” featuring the roots reggae flavor of Jah Dan
; “Anything Goes
” with chaotic verses from Turbulance
; and the dancehall sensation Vybz Kartel working “Pon De Floor
.”
Chali 2Na‘s Fish Outta Water
snap, crackles, and pops. A guest appearances by the Marley Brothers, Damian Marley
and Stephen Marley
, on the cut “Guns Up” piles deep booming funky fresh rhymes over a sweet melodic reggae chorus peppered by a Jr. Gong flow. The King of the Dancehall Beenie Man
joins Chali 2Na on the tune “International
” for searing dancehall reggae/hip-hop fusion. I found the single “Lock Shit Down” with Talib Kweli
appealing and the track “Comin’ Thru
” to be a hip-hop jam.
Texas songwriters Slaid Cleaves, Rhett Miller
, and Ryan Bingham
made the list this month. The Austin-based musician Slaid Cleaves sings heart-wrenching ballads playing Texas country music like it should be played. The song “Cry
” on the album Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away
will rip out your heart and have you reaching for the bottle of whiskey. American folk legend Bob Dylan dropped the new album Together Through Life
featuring the ominous dark-sounding hit single “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’
.
Zee Avi and Mishka
add international flavors to the best albums of July, providing fun flip-flop rock and reggae sounds for the summertime. Jack Johnson
‘s Brushfire Records handpicked Zee Avi for the label where she fits well with the laid back surfer motive. The Malaysian-born ukulele player’s new album is self titled Zee Avi
. Reggae-drenched Canadian/Bermudian seafarer Mishka is the new artist appearing on Matthew McConaughey’s record label JK Livin Records. Mishka’s new album Above The Bones
provides good summer tunes and positive vibes.