Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
I was worried for a little bit with their last album, but this album makes me wonder why I ever questioned Tweedy’s brilliance. For those of you who fell in love with Yankee Hotel, this album recaptures that feeling and takes it to a new level.

Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
This album combines a Kanye like beat with the styles of Pharrell. I love this album; it put me back in a hip-hop groove.

Ray Ricky Rivera - Neighborhood Fame
Everyone has to say they like their friend’s music, but this CD is actually awesome. It’s like Latin, hip-hop, and soul all in one.

Bright Eyes - I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
Okay so this came out it 2005, but it is still one of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard. You may remember Bright Eyes released this album at the same time as Digital Ash, a techno-dance album. Digital Ash was good but this album is amazing! It’s my exploring album because I love to blast it on my IPod while I take in new scenery.

Weezer - Pinkerton
Yeah so Rivers’ may not like this album, but I think most Weezer fans will agree it’s his best. And as the boys head back into the studio to record their 6th album maybe we all need a reminder as to why we will go out and buy it.

tip: if your buddy says; “Hey I’m gonna go see this band after work and I know nothing about them, wanna go?” Just go. Good music is everywhere but you have to be willing to hear it.

sharon jones and the dap-kings - 100 days, 100 nights
first off, let me start by saying that i have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like this record. knock your socks off, super funky, soul that miss sharon belts out every word too, with every ounce of her being.

john waters - this filthy world
this dvd is part of his speaking tour and i believe is shot in new york. it almost seems like he talks about everything. there is reminiscing about “eat your make-up” and “hag in a black leather jacket” all the way up to the disney sprinkled “hairspray” (i’m pretty sure i will never see that). the most shocking of all...john waters has limits!!!

siouxsie - mantaray
all by herself. this album makes it obvious that she loves the blues, and torch singers. there is such a velvety texture to this record. there isn’t too much that she can do wrong in my book.

this is england (dvd and soundtrack)
partly based on director, shane meadows’ life, this movie is a funny but bleek look into the summer of 1983. the soundtrack is a landscape of new wave, punk and reggae. perfectly fitting for a rowdy bunch of skinheads in 1983. there are also some classical pieces on the soundtrack that invoke situations and emotions in the film..

amy winehouse - frank
now, i realize that i’m kinda cheating here, but screw it! this is a great and fun record. it was re-issued this year, so i think i squeaked in there. i only have 3 words for you fuck. me. pumps. if you put all the silly tabloid stuff aside, she can really sing.

tip: for an evening of fun psychobilly check out the goddamn gallows or bamboula. they will both be on tour this year. for the best tattoo in southern california andrew moore at shogun studios in pasadena. for the best pornographic stained glass, my secret life in glass. for a fun dance night, monday’s at akbar rock steady. good times and good tunes.

The Ten DVD
“You smell good. What is that, coffee breath?”

Broken English DVD
My favorite Parker Posey role ever. She drinks, she smokes, accepts herself. It’s way better than that sounds.

Hot Rod DVD
Cool Beans.

Days of Heaven (Criterion Collection) DVD
Magic Hour, Wheat Fields, Sam Shepard… so fucking beautiful I want to stab my eyes out and never see anything again.

Eastern Promises DVD
Lady porn.

MARCHING DYNAMICS - Nailsleeper (Hymen Records)
A brilliant release encompassing electro - ambient - dub and tech. A mature showcase of all things electronica. From beginning to end a strong album, there aren’t very many releases these days you can just put on and listen to all the way through, with this, you can over and over again... looking forward to future releases from the project, as well as Germany’s Hymen Records....

Fabriclive.37 - Caspa & Rusko
Amazing compilation of thick and wobbly bass lines...LFO’s are defiled in the most appropriate ways on this must own Dub-Step collection. Every track a winner! Caspa Rocks!

Bauhaus - Go Away White
Legendary spooksters return with a new offering..not so much the classic Bauhaus sound, more of a rawer/ edgier earlier Murphy solo release, excellent either way! You know you wanna dust off those old pointy buckle boots, pour yourself into those Fizzy stretch pants and Aqua death that hair-do, switch off the lights, light up a clove and writhe in front of your mirror to this one!

Burial - Untrue
Sophomore release, moodier than the first. Put this baby on when you have some alone time with that freaky someone special. fog shrouded sensuous dub-step.

Uberzone - Ideology
Q returns! Setting the pace once again on the electro front! By far the top release for funky electro breaks of 2007.

tip: No tips, Discovery is best served to one’s own self. Cheers!

grizzley bear - friend EP
choral rock at it’s best. soundz like they recorded this album in a burned down church south of westchestington.

there will be blood - soundtrack
jonny greenwood’s dark soundz for that butt... create your own murderous rampage... slap this on your i-pod and grab a chainsaw.

pan pot - pan o rama
stripped down minimal techno masterpeice. complete with muted vocals that will tell you how to get down on the dancefl oor.

aesop rock - none shall pass
the complex lush hip hop beatz hold this album together. blockhead # 1 stunna.

agoria - at the controls
everytime i listen to this mix i wanna buy another 12” from it. for fanz of tech house jamz.

tip: for best designs shop at aparment # 3 www.apartment-3.com

2007 was a fantastic year for new music! Quite a few indie bands found mainstream success. If you enjoyed Spoon’s “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” and The Shins’ “Wincing the Night Away”, you will like these indie pop gems that flew just under the radar...

Ghost Stories - Quixoticism
This is the solo project from Ron Lewis, a sometimes-member of The Fruit Bats who is also now in Grand Archives with an ex-Band of Horses member. Such fun!

Field Music - Tones of Town
Wow! I love this record. It’s like Olivia Tremor Control but less weird.

Dr. Dog - We All Belong
These guys write fun pop songs and sound kind of like The Beatles or The Kinks... except not British.

The Parson Red Heads - King Giraffe
Front to back, this album delivers. Every song is delicious and catchy. They’re kind of a cross between The Vaselines and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. That could be a total lie... but the record is pretty great anyway.

I’m From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends
They’re not really from Barcelona! They’re Swedish! This album is totally nerd-pop and fun.

Favorite collection:
The Stax 50 - The Best of Stax/Volt...
A great introduction to soul music, including Otis Redding, The Bar-Kays, The Staple Singers, and the original “Whatta Man” by Linda Lyndell.

Favorite reissue:
Sarolta Zalatnay - Zalatnay
She’s the Hungarian Janis Joplin. She’s that good. Don’t miss out on these pipes.

Favorite favorite:
The Detroit Cobras - Tied & True
All they do are ‘60s cover songs... but they do them so well! The production is impeccable, as are the song choices, which include James Brown, among others. They are pure rock and roll... sweaty, dirty, and middle finger good.

Favorite awful:
R. Kelly - Trapped in the Closet Chapters 13-22
If you don’t know about this amazing hiphopera, you need to get schooled. It is the most amazing, awful work of art you will ever watch. Have a party, invite over your dearest of friends, get cozy however you see fit, and enjoy R. Kelly’s gift of storytelling magic. Okay, let’s just get this out of the way... the Amy Winehouse record rules. If you don’t own it, buy it. Stop being a hater. The songwriting and production is amazing. It’s the perfect meld of old soul with contemporary ideas. I love it. And deep down, you know you love that gap-toothed, coked out vixen, too.

Casa De Calacas - self-titeld (Triumphant Records)
East Los Angeles based Latin party band. Great for dancing! (Filed in World).

CAVA - self-titeld
Only in Los Angeles can you find music this good. An amazing fusion of Cumbia, Ska, and Soul. Go Get it! (filed in World).

Ray Ricky Rivera - Neighborhood Fame (Triumphant Records)
Rooted in Hip Hop with elements of Latin, Soul, and Pop. Feel good music you can get down to! (filed in World/Latin Hip Hop).

Gambler’s Mark - Last Chance Saloon
Psychobilly / Rockabilly / Surf. A strong debut from an awesome Trio! Go get it! (filed in Rockabilly)

Ben Harper - Lifeline
Great for all you aspiring song writers. Well written, produced and performed. It’s soulful from start to finish. (filed in Rock)

tip: Visit Descarga every 2nd Saturday of the month @ Echoplex. The best in Latin Soul Cumbia.

NSI (non standard institute) - nsi plays nonstandards
Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer move away from the dancefl oor with an album of piano drone music on Sähkö! !Possibly the best comparison would be to Akira Rabelais’ incredible (and long out of print) Ritornell album ‘Eisoptrophobia’ which took ‘standards’ from composers such as Bartok and Satie and processed them in ways that previously hadn’t been explored. NSI’s treatments feel similarly forward thinking and beautiful. Quite awe-inspiring...

Shut Up and Dance! - various artists (OSTGUT)
Ostgut have now engineered a dreamlike hookup between Berlin’s Staatsballet and their very own establishment - with a special one-off performance in Panorama Bar. The club has commisioned some of the most sought-after producers of the moment to score the soundtrack - and the results are now brought together on this totally brilliant compilation that’s pretty much the most anticipated Techno/Minimal release of the year and just about the best thing of its kind we’ve heard. Only 5 long pieces make up this release, totally exclusive material from Luciano, Sleeparchive, Ame, Nsi and, impressively, Luke Slater’s “The 7th Plain”, with some of the tracks clocking in at almost 20 minutes. Cadenza’s Nsi open the set with a 14 minute exercise in spacious bliss. The inimitable Sleeparchive is up next - his “Perspective” track quite possibly being the most fully-formed track in his career to date.  Ame’s 17 minute contribution “Fiori” has perhaps been the most discussed track on offer here - lending their innate understanding of form and melody into a maverick, slow-building epic that starts off with a constellation of twirling bleeps and a pulsating bassline, and ends up quite some time later with an almost euphoric, stringladed jaunt in 4/4 that will no doubt be as copied and referenced as often their carrear defining track “Rej. Luciano’s “Drunken Ballet” is the most playful thing here, it’s just brilliantly understated minimal funk of the highest order. Luke Slater’s long-dormant “7th Plain” out of retirement and the result is a 13 minute journey through ambient signatures, dusted beats. If you’re only going to buy one electronic album this year - make it this one.

SCSI-9 - Flight Mode EP (Pro-tez Records)
The sixth installment of the U.S./Russian Pro-Tez label is a three track Flight Mode EP by label bosses SCSI-9. Now Russia’s oldest minimalheadz release an EP on their own label - for the fi rst time. Flight Mode presents three tracks made during their recent journeys over Europe and South America. Created somewhere between Florianopolis and Subotica. The title track truly starts off with full-speed flashing one back to famous tunes. More dubby but with some edge lines on ‘Walking Through The Fog’ will keep fans spiced up with clicks and synths. Free from everyday workout, a bit apart from the usual Kompakt-esque sound, but these works retain a distinct lyrical touch, which made SCSI-9 loved for - especially ‘Submoon,’ featuring a deeply arpeggiated piano solo. Due to the small print-run, this record may soon become a phonographic rarity. A must for all SCSI-9 fans.”

Efdemin - self-titled (Dial)
Full-length by Efdemin features 8 previously unreleased tracks in addition to singles, ‘Lohn & Brot’ and ‘Acid Bells’. For the fans of Lawrence and Pantha du Prince. Classy aural sad blissed out techno . Perfect for the late night drifting through the big city. A bit nostalgic and meloncholic.

Mujuice - Monochrome EP (Pro-tez Records)
Mujuice’s Monochrome EP is the music you’ve always wanted to hear by the artist you’ve never heard of. This four track EP is full of tender atmospheric sweeps, ethereal textures and micro-sounds layered together to build soft yet powerful passages, and breathing female voice samples make the impression that tracks are breathing their own breath. The artist prefers sampling to sound synthesis, and it looks like he sampled the beauty itself and turned it into music. A Russian brilliant.”

tips: If you need cool vintage analog synths check out Big City Music store in Studio City. Local artist to check out is John Tejada DJ/live shows.