Disco Volante - 2010 Devastator Jr. Awards!

MP3: Disco Volante - 2010 Devastator Jr. Awards! (Right-Click-Save-As)

Hello sports fans! Welcome to the Devastator Jr. Awards 2010.

2010 wasn't a year for big, blockbustery, paradigm shifting releases, but there were an awful lot of smaller, subtler, but equally rewarding records. So this year's list is devoted mainly to those acts that may not have made a huge splash, but we loved anyway. The albums are listed not in favorite order, I'll leave that for you to decide, but in the order they appear on the 2010 Devastator Jr. Awards mix, which is up for the download.

You could also call 2010 the year of Madlib, his monthly Medicine Show mix series displaying his apparently inexhaustible grasp of pop music and ingenious mixing ability, not to mention Young Jazz Rebels, The Last Electro-Acoustic-Whatever and god knows what else. Here, we choose just one track, the gorgeous 'Na Boca Do Sol' sung by Celia, from the Medicine Show #2: Flight To Brazil.

Anyway, check out the whole bloodly list complete with album covers here -- http://rateyourmusic.com/list/DevastatorJr/the_devastator_jr__awards_2010___

Enjoy!

1. White Hinterland - Icarus (3:46) 2. Janelle Monáe - Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi) (4:22) 3. Sleigh Bells - Riot Rhythm (2:36) 4. Das Racist - 18 Sit Down, Man (Featuring El-P) (Produced By Scoop Deville) (3:55) 5. Flying Lotus - Satelllliiiiiteee (2:13) 6. Arcade Fire - Modern Man (4:40) 7. Tame Impala - Alter Ego (4:47)8. Best Coast - When The Sun Don't Shine (2:16) 9. Celia - Na Boca Do Sol (from Madlib's Medicine Show #2: Flight To Brazil) (2:46) 10. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Beverly Kills (3:56) 11. Gorillaz - Pirate Jet (2:32)

Disco Volante - Golden Phone

MP3: Disco Volante - Golden Phone (Right-Click-Save-As)

I don't know how UK electro-wunderkins Micachu and the Shapes escaped my notice for a whole year, I just discovered them a week ago, but after two awesome mixtapes and one fantastic album I am officially a fan.

Our lead-off track, Golden Phone, comes from their debut record, Jewellery.

Enjoy!

1. Micachu - Golden Phone (2:43) 2. Das Racist - Rainbow In The Dark (3:50) 3. Lætitia Sadier - Another Monster (2:49) 4. Clinic - Bubblegum (2:52) 5. Jack Logan - Vegetable Belt (2:18) 6. Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz - In The Heat Of The Night (3:17) 7. Sun Ra - Moonship Journey (6:28) 8. The Roots - A Peace of Light - feat. Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle (1:50) 9. Flying Lotus - Do the Astral Plane (4:22) 10. Stahhr - Grandmaztaz (Remix) (4:35) 11. Nite Jewel - Another Horizon (4:25) 12. Marie Osmond - Karawane (0:31) 13. Beck - Mattress (Bonus Track) (2:31) 14. Here We Go Magic - Fangela (5:30)

Disco Volante - Round & Round

MP3: Disco Volante - Round & Round (Right-Click-Save-As)

I don't know a whole heck of a lot about Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, but that sure is a groovy jumpsuit mastermind Ariel Rosenberg is wearing. His new album Before Today is no slouch either. It's a strange mixture of influences as wide ranging (but always retro) as the Ramones and Kool And the Gang, and I mean that in the best possible way. It's definitely a contender for album of the year on my list.

Check out this week's opening track, Round & Round and you'll see what I mean.

Enjoy!

1. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round (5:08) 2. Love is All - Make Out Fall Out Make Up (The Bees Remix) (5:27) 3. Club 8 - Western Hospitality (3:49) 4. Lee Moses - Reach Out I'll Be There (2:46) 5. Gorillaz - Empire Ants (featuring Little Dragon) (4:43) 6. Sinn Sisamouth - Jasmine Girl (2:36) 7. Jim O'Rourke - Don't Make Me Over (3:13) 8. The Books - Chain Of Missing Links (4:30) 9. Jaga Jazzist - Bananfluer Overalt (3:52) 10. Solex vs. Christina Martinez & Jon Spencer - R Is For Ring-A-Ding (3:15) 11. The Avalanches - Run DNA (3:07) 12. Orange Juice - Rip It Up (5:18) 13. Joel Oppenheimer - Cities, This City

Disco Volante - Born Free

MP3: Disco Volante - Born Free (right-click-save-as)

I don't care what the New York Times Magazine says, I love M.I.A. I don't think it's hypocrisy to speak for the voiceless when you're in the position to do so, even if you don't exactly share their circumstances. On the contrary, it's incumbent upon those of us among the "haves" to fight for the "have nots". If we don't, who will?

But to me, more important than the details of her advocacy of the Tamil Tiger separatist group of her native Sri Lanka, which are problematic to be sure, is what she represents in a more abstract sense -- globalism (as opposed to globalization), populist resistance, political engagement and the struggle of the weak against the powerful.

Politics aside, musically, I think M.I.A. is one of the most important artists of our young century. Her effortless blending of styles and sounds into something so new it often seems alien is matched by none. And she's definitely easy on the eyes.

Our lead off track to this week's playlist is Born Free, from M.I.A.'s much anticipated new album "/\/\ /\ Y /\ (Maya)" . If you haven't seen the video (banned from Youtube, see it here,) check it out, it's intense.

Enjoy!

1. M.I.A. - Born Free (4:14) 2. Mc Paul Barman - Props (3:20) 3. The Free Design - Bubbles (2:16) 4. Os Mutantes - El Justiceiro (3:50) 5. Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (5:33) 6. The High Llamas - The American Scene (4:32) 7. Piero Piccioni - Acapulco (2:51) 8. Joanna Newsom - The Book of Right-On (4:40) 9. toe - Say It Ain’t So feat. Hoshikawa Yuzuru (Dry River String, ex upandcoming) (3:42) 10. The Notwist - Trashing Days (3:24) 11. Flying Lotus/Dolly - Robertaflack (3:07) 12. Pink Floyd - Brain Damage (3:46) 13. The Tragically Hip - Sherpa (5:15) 14. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - According to Plan (4:37) 15. Joan As Police Woman - Endless Supply of Poison (0:49)

Disco Volante - One For All

MP3: Disco Volante - All For One (Right-Click-Save-As)

Ok true hip-hop fans, because you demanded it, here is old school mix number two, featuring Brand Nubian!

In the early '90's, MC's Grand Puba Maxwell, Lord Jamar, Derek (Sadat) X and DJ Alamo were New Rochele New York's finest hip-hop crew, Brand Nubian, known for their deep jazz samples and rhymes infused with the philosophies of the Five Percent Nation of Islam. I have to say, when I was in high shool and picked up their debut album, One For All, it was a revelation, and remains to this day one of my all time favorite rap albums. All For One is the first track off that record and the first on this week's playlist. Enjoy!

Oh, and check out Roxanne Shante's 'Live On Stage' at the end, remember that one? I had to look all over for it! For some reason, it's one of my favorites. Peace!

1. Brand Nubian - All For One (Explicit LP Version) (4:54)2. Diamond D - Sally Got A One Track Mind (3:43)3. Black Sheep - Flavor Of The Month (4:19)4. Leaders of the New School - Sobb Story (4:39)5. Das EFX - Jussumen (Pete Rock Remix) (4:45)6. Main Source - Live at the Barbecue feat. Nas, Fatal & Akinyele (4:34)7. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Creator (Slide To The Side Rmx) (3:42)8. Chubb Rock & Howie Tee - Caught Up [Remix] (6:14)9. De La Soul - Buddy-Remix feat. A Tribe Called Quest-Jungle Brothers-Queen Latifah-Monie Love (7:14)10. Tuff Crew - My Part of Town (4:34)11. Afrika Bambaata - Looking For The Perfect Beat (6:51)12. Roxanne Shante - Live On Stage (Original Mix) (3:56)

Disco Volante - 9th Wonder

MP3: Disco Volante - 9th Wonder (Right-Click-Save-As)

Insectoid MC's Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca and Doodle Bug along with DJ Silkworm, collectively known as the Digible Planets, produced two of the best albums of hip-hop's Golden Age, the Grammy Award winning Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) and the vastly under-appreciated (and in my opinion, superior) 1994 Blowout Comb. It's great music. This week's lead-in was the standout track from that album and features legendary NYC radio dj Jazzy Joyce on shout outs.

This week's show is an old school mix for a friend of mine who's just getting into the rap music. Next week I'll fast-forward a little bit with some of today's more current hip-hop.

Enjoy!

1. Digable Planets - 9th Wonder (Blackitolism) (4:27)2. Kool G Rap and DJ Polo - Road to The (5:05)3. Eric B. & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul (4:50)4. Special Ed - Think About It (4:25)5. EPMD - You Gots to Chill (4:27)6. MC Lyte - Paper Thin (Audio 2 Remix) (2:47)7. A Tribe Called Quest - Steve Biko (Stir It Up) (3:11)8. Gang Starr - Dwyck ['Royalty'] (4:03)9. Biz Markie - Vapors (4:33)10. Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half-Steppin' (5:24)11. Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy (5:40)12. Ultramagnetic MC's - Ego trippin' (4:58)13. Slick Rick - Lick the Balls (3:55)

Disco Volante - World Sick

MP3: Disco Volante - World Sick (Right-Click-Save-As)

The great nation of Canada has much to offer the world -- masterful hockey players, hilarious transvestite sketch comedy and wonderful but underappreciated rock bands, like Tegan and Sara, national champions The Tragically Hip, and the Juno Award winning Broken Social Scene.

World Sick is a teaser track from their highly anticipated (at least by me,) John McIntire (Tortoise) produced fourth record "Forgiveness Rock Record," and if it's any indication, along with "All To All" from last week's playlist, it's going to be another winner.

1. Broken Social Scene - World Sick (6:47)2. Yo La Tengo - Tom Courtenay (3:12)3. Sufjan Stevens - All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace! (4:33)4. The Zombies - 03 Tell Her No (2:06)5. Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (3:09)6. kid koala - i like my beats (3:54)7. Miles Davis - Rated X (5:06)8. PJ Harvey - The Garden (4:12)9. Gonjasufi - Sheep (4:03)10. Arthur Verocai - Na boca do sol (2:54)11. Parliament - I Just Got Back From The Fantasy, Ahead Of Our Time In The Four Lands Of Ellet (4:30)12. Masters of Illusion - Let Me Talk to You (9:19)13. Sun Ra - We Travel The Spaceways (3:24)