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December 2009 Archives

ATG Presents: Albums of the Aughts - The Decade in Sonic Erotica [40-21]

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All original artwork by our favorite evil genius, Joseph Devens.

I've always thought there should be a TV series about going to shows. It's an inherently distinctive ritual performed by interesting characters and regularly featuring any variety of musical and circumstantial entertainment that ranges from the revelatory to the disastrous. It practically writes itself. 

The live music experience was a formative part of this decade for us, and one of our great pleasures this year was to bring you coverage of three major festivals live and in color. Today we dedicate the 40-21 block of albums in our Top 100 countdown to our favorite concerts of the era.

  • We were awestruck by Kanye at the Frank Erwin Center stop of the Glow in the Dark tour.
  • We watched MIA become one of her generation's most magnetic rock stars at Voodoo fest in New Orleans.
  • We got rained out and saw Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs felate her microphone at Bonnaroo.
  • We took shots with Clipse and The Cool Kids at SXSW'08.
  • We ogled James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem at CMJ.
  • We got swept away by Bloc Party and Broken Social Scene at ACL.
  • And we couldn't believe our good fortune at seeing Thom Yorke and Zach De La Rocha in the flesh at Lollapalooza.

Here's to many more sweaty crowds in the decade to come.

Update: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5
Continue reading ATG Presents: Albums of the Aughts - The Decade in Sonic Erotica [40-21].
By Reggie on 12.31.09 2:55PM | 66 Comments | No TrackBacks
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ATG Presents: Albums of the Aughts - The Decade in Sonic Erotica [60-41]

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All original artwork by our favorite evil genius, Joseph Devens.

At the halfway point of the countdown, it's time to spotlight our patient contributors. We'll use classical AP style (brief bios with "Anchorman" quotes):

Writers

  • Josh Bradshaw - The recently engaged (congrats) Bradshaw is one of those smart flex players any office can plug in for instant output. He's worked with various libraries that have many leather-bound books and smell of rich mahogany, and minored in music history.
  • Patrick Caldwell - Newly appointed staff writer (congrats) for the Austin-American Statesman, ATG has shared many a winding, bar-soaked conversation about existence with Caldwell. The intimate times? Outta sight, my man.
  • Natalia Ciolko - A recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Natalia runs libelous liberal rags and enjoys traveling through Asia. She actually likes Le Tigre. I thought you were kidding. I thought it was a joke. I even wrote it down in my diary - Natalia had a very funny joke today. I laughed about it later that night.
  • Evan Daniels - Representing Farmington Hills, Michigan, a Grand Valley State big fish ATG met on a summer internship. There was an inordinate amount of shopping in SoHo at the, uh, pants store.
  • Joseph Devens - The project's luminary creative director, Devens is also an easy writer to edit and an impossible man to reach by cell phone during working hours. A man of mystery, I tried to get an interview with him, but they said no, you can't do that he's a live bear, he will literally rip your face off.
  • Michal Durham - A talented artist and ardent supporter of Radiohead's failed bid for number one, Durham is Brazilian, or Chinese, or something weird.
  • Tom Hardy - Another delegate from the Michigan coalition, ATG knows Hardy through Evan. They have a saying in Michigan: the coyote of the desert likes to eat the heart of the young and the blood drips down to his children for breakfast, lunch and dinner and only the ribs will be broken.
  • Ben Heath - A powerful, mentoring force for ATG editors, Heath used to rule The Daily Texan with an iron fist and enjoys working with the United Nations, guitars and law school in his spare time. When John Kerry capped an atrocious campaign with a crushing defeat, Heath pissed off a lot of people by running Mapquest directions to Canada as the next morning's editorial. It's science. 
  • Bryant Howell - One of the panel's three business school grads, Howell is a well-traveled renaissance man who shockingly prefers playing bass in bands to bottom lines. Great Odin's raven!
  • Jeremy Hurd - Fun facts about ATG's web guru: he went to Ohio State, he can dunk a basketball, he's an aspiring novelist, he organizes the team pancake breakfast.
  • TJ Finley - Did you know that undergrads have to camp out for an entire school year just to be in a lottery for Duke basketball tickets? With tents and shit. Luckily for Finley, he's at Duke Law. His hass a formidable scent that stings the nostrils...in a good way.
  • John Meller - Coming off a banner year wherein he directed the campus concert committee and programmed shows with Saul Williams and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Meller stands at the edge of tomorrow. The contributors met months ago to discern list at an undisclosed restaurant and Meller ordered three fingers of Glenlivet with a little bit of pepper, and, uh, some cheese.
  • Andy O'Connor - Starting graduate studies at Northwestern next semester, there's going to be flutes playing and trombones and flowers and garlands of fresh herbs greeting O'Connor upon arrival in Chicago.
  • Robert Rich - The arsonist has oddly shaped feet.
  • Eddie Strait - ATG's life-long best friend, people seem to like Eddie because he's polite and rarely late.
  • Harrison Yeager - The guy that ran the concert committee before Meller. ATG regrettably is tired of the quotes bit, but seriously, Harrison is a really nice dude.I will tell tales of his compassion.


Consultants

John Bradley
Ejede
Scott Loewen
Cass Luskin
Austin Powell
Jess Williamson


Update: Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5
Continue reading ATG Presents: Albums of the Aughts - The Decade in Sonic Erotica [60-41].
By Reggie on 12.30.09 2:10PM | 97 Comments | No TrackBacks
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ATG Presents: Albums of the Aughts - The Decade in Sonic Erotica [80-61]

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All original artwork by our favorite evil genius, Joseph Devens.

Other things worth putting on lists: The Wire (2002-2006), the U.S. occupation of Fallujah (2003), Tree of Smoke (2007), "What You Know" (2006), the fall of Touch and Go Records (2008), the creepy detuned voice on Napster downloads of "Treefingers" that said something like "This voice was placed here to protect against piracy; it will be removed before the official release" (2000), The Downing Street Memo (2002, 2005), the reappearance of Henry Grimes (2003), Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the moment everyone realized that the band Stars was actually pretty boring (c. 2005), the Freedom Tower (whenever), Rihanna's remarkably disturbing and ill-advised new single (2009).


PART II of V


Update:  Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
By Ramon on 12.29.09 1:09PM | 3 Comments | No TrackBacks
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ATG Presents: Albums of the Aughts - The Decade in Sonic Erotica [100-81]

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All original artwork by our favorite evil genius, Joseph Devens.

First comes love. Any list purporting to declare the "best" of any art form is by nature rooted in arrogance, indulgence and selfishness. 

But first comes love. 

In music especially: to pore over yearbooks, journal entries and mixtapes; to scour CD binders searching for meaning; to cuss out close friends in defense of a personally beloved sophomore effort; the perennial rush to sanitarily sequence and categorize is fundamentally a matter of the heart. 

In 2009 we were submerged in debt, worry and decade lists. For our generation it was a particularly potent mix. When TIME magazine and other members of the Fourth Estate declared the period from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009 "The Decade From Hell," we took it with both pointed objection, and sullen acknowledgment. We took it personally. Questing high schoolers when the Twin Towers fell. Eager college grads throwing up caps as the economy collapsed. We were acutely aware of this small piece of the calendar those in the Office of Statistics and Records now struggle to name. We lived it. We were there. And it wasn't hell. 

In A Thousand Grams' tribute to the best music of the decade, we tried to honor the moments and albums that mattered most. Of course, it was an impossible task. But over the past three months, we paid special attention to albums that broke new ground, that struck a personal chord, that inspired new movements or were perfect even in light of their imperfections. We are a hip-hop site, but this is not a hip-hop list. Instead, we were honest. There will be rap, punk rock, metal, indie and electronic in hopefully deserving proportions. There will not be Bruce Springsteen or U2. 

In this space, every day for the remainder of the week, we present our countdown of the top 100 albums of the decade in blocks of 20. We've made it so you can easily stream a choice song selection from each album, or buy the whole thing from Amazon should you discover something great. 

A very special thanks goes out to the 20 odd contributors to this project who labored tirelessly and didn't even receive a lousy Facebook gift. 

We hope you love it.

Update:  Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Continue reading ATG Presents: Albums of the Aughts - The Decade in Sonic Erotica [100-81].
By Reggie on 12.28.09 12:21PM | 73 Comments | No TrackBacks
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ATG09: The Songs of the Year Tape

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It's been a great year serving you guys. Mixtape #4, inspired by our songs of the year, after the jump.

Continue reading ATG09: The Songs of the Year Tape.
By Reggie on 12.23.09 4:19PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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ATG09: The Year In Hip-hop [Songs]

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We'll have these presented in mixtape form soon; here's the list.
By Ramon on 12.23.09 10:08AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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New Hov Music Video Feat. Hudson - "Young Forever"

Just a picture perfect day that lasts a whole lifetime,
and it never ends because all we have to do is hit rewind
By Evan on 12.22.09 9:13PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks
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New Das Racist Video - 'Rainbows In The Dark'




We love it.

Fresh follow up from the "Pizza Hut/Taco Bell" guys.
By Ramon on 12.18.09 3:43PM | 11 Comments | No TrackBacks
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ATG09: The Year In Hip-hop [Videos]

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The music video, for all intents and purposes, is a fond memory and a meaningless medium. Somehow, labels still shell out thousands for these promotional tools that are now mainly consumed via buffering YouTube streams. Once they realize it's more cost effective to just hand 50 Cent a flip cam, they'll finally stop footing the bill for all them hoes.

Until that day, we're happy to kickstart our roundup of 2009's best hip-hop output with rap videos. Those we loved enough to stand the buffering, that mattered, that impacted culture, that still tried.

Number one shouldn't be a surprise.
Continue reading ATG09: The Year In Hip-hop [Videos].
By Reggie on 12.16.09 9:52AM | 48 Comments | No TrackBacks
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Case of the Mondays - December 14

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The weekend in MP3s.


It's Christmas party season; two weeks of offices and acquaintances throwing shindigs. At least 64% of these affairs offer state-sanctioned spirits. Generally, the pressure and awkwardness of these confrontations severely detracts from their enjoyability. Next weekend there's three on my Google Calendar but I just want to hole up in a mancave and futilely watch NFL Network.
Continue reading Case of the Mondays - December 14.
By Ramon on 12.14.09 8:42AM | 7 Comments | No TrackBacks
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Stimulus - Elzhi - The Leftovers Unmixedtape

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Little gem for the Friday commute. An excellent, raw collection of all the incredible verses, standout Detroit soul beats the Slum Village alum has been cranking out all year.

El is a destructive rapper, piling on the bars like he's trying to beat Word Count. Peep game after the jump.
Continue reading Stimulus - Elzhi - The Leftovers Unmixedtape.
By Ramon on 12.11.09 2:59PM | 7 Comments | No TrackBacks
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BlakRoc + Letterman - "Hoochie Coo"


We've been going on about the take-home success of BlakRoc's rap-rock the past couple of days, and this smooth performance on Letterman last night just confirms it. It's this kind of chemistry that makes the album stand out. Everyone (in this case The Black Keys, Mos Def and Jim Jones) is in rare form and in their element. It's an anti-mash-up. 
By Reggie on 12.09.09 9:25PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
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New Timbaland video ft. Drake "Say Something"


Did you know Timbaland Presents Shock Value II was a thing that existed? We found out browsing the iTunes store the other day and apparently it's already being sold in brick and mortar outlets. Tough to say why this album got so little push, but times are rough and even Timbaland of 2009 ain't Timbaland of 2007. In anycase, this collab with our own golden boy is pretty solid and we're gonna give the whole thing a listen today. 

UPDATE: Our field research indicates this sick puppy features the likes of The Fray, Miley Cyrus, One Republic, Daughtry and, (there is no God) Nickelback. Should've seen it coming.

We will still listen because it's our job and we're professionals, but there's nothing like swallow-your-own-vomit collaborations like these to really make you appreciate The Black Keys and friends.
By Reggie on 12.09.09 8:07AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
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New Jamie Foxx ft. Justin Timberlake - "Winner"

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Jamie's got another new album (his 4th) coming out. Maybe he could get Justin to show the same dedication? This collab feels kind of phoned in, honestly, but it's not bad overall. Give it a listen.


via CL

By Reggie on 12.09.09 7:56AM | 7 Comments | No TrackBacks
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Decision: BlakRoc - BlakRoc

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Is rap-rock dead? Check out The Black Keys latest revival over in reviews.

By Reggie on 12.08.09 6:18PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Stimulus: Kidz in the Hall - "Le Tour de Loisirs Professionelle"

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Kidz in the Hall come through with this very welcome early Christmas gift in the form of a new mixtape, featuring the excellent leaked singles "Jukebox" and "Flickin'" along with a bunch of other fresh cuts. Our resume says we speak "Intermediate French," so we feel qualified to look up the English translation of the title and confirm that it means "The Professional Leisure Tour." As usual, the "Stimulus" tag translates to "Don't miss." Tracklist and download after the jump.
Continue reading Stimulus: Kidz in the Hall - "Le Tour de Loisirs Professionelle".
By Reggie on 12.08.09 3:04PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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New Kid Cudi video ft. Ratatat - "Pursuit of Happiness"

Kid Cudi drops off this appropriately seren vid for our favorite song off his debut, Man on the Moon. Like his mentor, Cudi seems to be one of the few remaining rappers who care about being in the vanguard of video making, which is a good thing. Watch for cameos by Drake and Consequence.

By Reggie on 12.08.09 1:07PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
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While we were out: ATG catches up

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Continue reading While we were out: ATG catches up.
By Ramon on 12.08.09 12:50PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Stimulus: Chip Tha Ripper - The Cleveland Show

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I'm a gorilla chillin with you house-broken poodles like Yeah.

There's no way they are having this much fun in Cleveland. I refuse to believe it. Easily the best mixtape I've heard this year, or maybe I'm just too excited.

Real recognize real, I seen myself a couple times.

Kid Cudi, a native son of Cleveland, was adopted into the electro scene after Crookers made a better version of "Day n' Nite," which then took over clubs, blogs and mainstream radio. Not so for his dear friend Chip Tha Ripper, who's been cooling out in Cleveland for some time now. Sam Hockley-Smith at The FADER posted the new mixtape Monday morning. Anyone who loves hip-hop and just plain rapping should love on this.

Sounds like Chip is doing real well in his Cleveland enclave, and if he can keep making such inspired music from there, he should stay put. But now that all this free music has come out, mixtape-style... Chip should tour! I'd buy some silly merch to support this dude.


Chip Tha Ripper - The Cleveland Show.

By Natalia on 12.01.09 9:58PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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ATG will pay bills, develop content, be back in a few



Thanks for rolling with us.
By Ramon on 12.01.09 12:34PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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