hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. The end of the year is coming, and I love looking back on the year and thinking of the things I've achieved. So not much for this year. I also love lists. So I decided to use the copious amount of time I had in my hands to conjure up my top 103 songs for this year. Yep. This year. The year in which the long gestating Chinese Democracy came out to no fanfare. he year in which Beyonce finally released a bad album. The year in which be your own pet disbanded and New Kids On The Block reunited. Some things were good (the Saturdays, Rachael Yamagata), some were bad (High School Musical 3, Taylor Swift) and some things were just plain disappointing (Sugababes, Beyonce). But these are my picks for the best. HAZIM's best. That's what's important. Let's go.
1: Telekinesis-Imaginary Friend//Telekinesis
Harmonies like The Beatles. Vocals like the kind Jason Mraz would die for (he overdoes things sooo much). Who really cares if my number one hasn't officially released this song? Micheal Benjamin Lerner seems to like singing in this manner-sunny, smiley, chirpy. But with a knowing wink as he recalls a childhood friend. And while you're busy wondering if there's a deeper hidden meaning beneath "when we got older, we went our seperate ways, and everything got hard", he just doesn't seem to care. That might be why it's no longer on his MySpace page and there's no way you can get it off the internet now. Well, I have it. Hahahaha...LISTEN HERE
2: Santogold-L.E.S Artistes//SantogoldM.I.A suddenly broke out on the charts with last year’s “Paper Planes” storming the charts entering the top 5. Her best friend Santogold just stepped back and straddled the line between mainstream big choruses and underground unpredictability. The cream of her crop is “Artistes”, a march in which she trots out words like leading a horse into battle. Sounds like she designed it for a Nike Ad. But I doubt this M.I.A with melody will ever sell out.LISTEN HERE
3: The Hold Steady-Constructive Summer//Stay Positive
Harmonies like The Beatles. Vocals like the kind Jason Mraz would die for (he overdoes things sooo much). Who really cares if my number one hasn't officially released this song? Micheal Benjamin Lerner seems to like singing in this manner-sunny, smiley, chirpy. But with a knowing wink as he recalls a childhood friend. And while you're busy wondering if there's a deeper hidden meaning beneath "when we got older, we went our seperate ways, and everything got hard", he just doesn't seem to care. That might be why it's no longer on his MySpace page and there's no way you can get it off the internet now. Well, I have it. Hahahaha...LISTEN HERE
3: Estelle feat. Kanye West-American Boy//Shine
British born Estelle has been around on the musc scene longer than most people would think. So if a Best New Artist nomination comes her way in the future, it's right to cry foul. But she's never recorded something as refreshing and funny as the bouncy "American Boy". It's mostly in part due to the presence of producer and guest rapper Kanye West who drops crucial verses and almost steals the show.LISTEN HERE
5: Goldfrapp-A&E//The Seventh Tree
Extreme makeovers don't get as startling as this. Goldfrap's sudden shift from glitter ball glam disco to subdued simplicity took everyone by surprise when this track leaked. Fans thought it could not possibly be that Allison Goldfrapp had traded in her dancing shoes for moccasins, but this transfer was smooth and natural, like the airy way she exhales her words and the her vulnerability glimmering as if she's never recorded a song about sex before..LISTEN HERE
6: Diplo & Santogold-Icarus// Top Ranking: A Diplo Dub
The strings start off the 2 minute song, then Santogold starts her Turkish-like chirping, half Turkish-like chanting, half whisper, and the beat stays steady. Then M.I.A falls over.LISTEN HERE
7: Cut Copy-Lights And Music//In Ghost Colours
Australia's Cut Copy punted an album full of breathtaking dance electro pop you could play on the radio and bob your head along in the car on the way back from the club. This is the mantle piece that is the kind of pop you dream Portishead would try and make sometime when they're not busy moping. The chorus draws you in and Dan Whitford suggestively sings "tell me what you want, for your birthday" and the fact that this song is used in the Fifa video game doesn't hurt its coolness factor either.LISTEN HERE
8: Damien Jurado-Sheets//Caught In The Trees
Bitter love songs don't get much more bitter than "Sheets". Damien Jurado's most gut wrenching work of art off Caught In The Trees blows over like a Damien Rice who's skipped way too many therapy sessions and has been living in solitary confinement for way too long. He plods along, wailing like an injured animal, the steady beat puncturing his yelps. And while he's recounting the fact that he's on the same sheets is ex cheated in, the song exhausts itself. Anger never sounded so sad.LISTEN HERE
9: The Streets-The Escapist//Everything Is Borrowed
Few rappers even come close to copping Mike Skinner's sharp tipped tongue full of intellectual whip and the power of observation (Lupe Fiasco comes close I guess, but he's not exactly white. Give him a few years though). This track off Everything Is Borrowed floats on with a chorus drawing inspiration from inspiration itself to lift you higher...higer...like gospel, if it were hip and white. Eminem. Take notes. LISTEN HERE
10: Of Montreal-ID Engager//Skeletal Lamping
Kevin Barnes sounds like a pervert actually. But even perverts have a place in this world. And he and his band who are totally not from Montreal at all lace tenth on this list with their version of what a high pitched riddled dance floor burner should sound like. You can imagine the roller skates. And the flirty girls with feathered hair. And Donna Summers bobbing her head along. Sh'es still alive now so she's probabaly doing it....LISTEN HERE
11: Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown-No Air//Jordin Sparks
In which two of teen pop's most prominent stars of 2008 run out of oxygen and balloon this duet with as much drama as their teenage lungs can suffice. LISTEN HERE
12: Shugo Tokumaru-Parachute//Exit
Japan's shoegazing samurai dreams of a holiday and chirps the word like he's high on sushi over beats that skip like rocks on water. LISTEN HERE
13: Fleet Foxes-Ragged Wood//Fleet Foxes
Another beautiful track serenade courtesy of music historians who aren't really foxes.. LISTEN HERE
14: Annuals-Such Fun//Such Fun
LISTEN HERE
15: Dar Williams-It's Alright//Promised Land
Sheryl Crow with a personality, Dorothy Snowden Williams tries to reassure herself that it's...alright. LISTEN HERE
16: Damien Jurado-Go First//Caught In The Trees
. LISTEN HERE
17: The Saturdays-Up//Chasing Lights
Down with Sugababes. Out with Girls Aloud. And up with color coded The Saturdays, the best British girl group named after a day of the week. LISTEN HERE
18: Isl;and-Creeper//Arm's Way
The guitars talk and tiptoe like some Pink Panther episode. And he whispers like someone's really in the house, and he's there holding a knife or crowbar ready to strike, cold sweat, in anticipation.
19: Young Jeezy-Circulate//The Recession
Over big band horns and clashing drums, Jay Jenkins reveals his inner Obama for some political sniping, trading verses with an unknown falsetto. LISTEN HERE
20: Rachael Yamagata-Sidedish Friend//Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart
Missus of Misery gets all snarly and bares her teeth on her most aggressive track to date, about friends too embarrassing to hang out with in public. LISTEN HERE
21: Deerhoof-Numina O//Offend Maggie
LISTEN HERE
22: Lindsay Lohan-Bossy//Spirit In The Dark
In between getting mauled by the paparazzi, derailing her father, and snogging Samantha Ronson, Ms. lohan found time to declare her supremacy and dominance in the bedroom over a vibrater of a beat-penned no less by NeYo. LISTEN HERE
23: Human Highway-What World//Moody Motorcycle
In which the Islands' singer contemplates about rotten food and asks for your permission to borrow your feelings on this plodding pop number about misunderstanding.
LISTEN HERE
24: Frightened Rabbit-The Modern Leper//
It plucks slowly in the beginning..sounding harmless at first, then Scott Hutchinson starts this wretched gut wrenching about cripples and how, anyone in the world, could ever love him. The ultimate anthem for insecurity. LISTEN HERE
25: Okkervil River-Pop Lie//The Stand Ins
With impeccable vocals, and a chorus more contagious than chicken pox, Okkervil River make like toned up kaiser Chiefs singing about men and lies. You know you're lying if you sing along..... LISTEN HERE
26: Conor Oberst-I Don't Want To Die (In A Hospital)//Conor Oberst
Indie pop's skinny poster boy uses his scarily thin arms to pluck his guitar along to this track never to be played in the surgery room.
. LISTEN HERE
27: The Veronicas-Untouched//Hook Me Up
Over a jittery anxious electronic-driven beat and some monstrous violin sawing, Australia's premier pop star twins get all la-la-la-Lust. LISTEN HERE 
28: N.E.R.D-Spaz//Seeing Sounds
Pharell finally comes to his sense and comes together with N.E.R.D to release Seeing Sounds, fresher and funkier than their last. The highlight is Spaz-. In which Pharell gets all Beastie Boy-ish over loping bass and percussion.
29: Goldfrapp-Happiness//The Seventh Tree
Copy catting Patrick Wolf for their music video doesn't stop this song from being a melancholic treat that sounds like strawberry weed.. LISTEN HERE
30: Solange Knowles-Sandcastle Disco
While big Sis was busy battling an identity crisis, little sister Solange delves deeper into her own quirky world and carves out a crackling joint about castles made of disco. LISTEN HERE
31: Black Kids-I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance//PartyTraumatic
LISTEN HERE
32: Lil Wayne-A Milli//The Carter III
The word "A Milli" being repeated approximately 12i423478623894234 times serves as the foundation for this further celebration of Lil Wayne's weirdness and further proof that life is unfair. This should have topped the charts-not "Lollipop"..LISTEN HERE
33: Death Cab For Cutie-I Will Posses Your Heart//Narrow Stairs
Ben Gibbard borrows Alex Kapranos' dancing shoes for some foot tapping moaning with melody-about a girl who won't spend time with him.LISTEN HERE
34: Santogold-Lights Out//Santogold
2008's best breakout does a Tegan & Sara song better than Tegan & Sara ever did..LISTEN HERE
35: Fujiya & Miyagi-Knickerbocker//Lightbulbs
Featuring dance music's most oddball couple not named Danger Mouse or Cee-Lo, comes a thud thumping shake 'em track about ice cream sprinkled with ridiculous rhymes ("Knickerbocker rhymed with a dead former child star) and a spastic spare vocal delivery of a cherry on top. And the way 'vanilla, strawberry, knickerbocker glory" is repeated again and again is ridiculous, but sooo hypnotic.
36: Portishead-Machine Gun//Third
Queen of Gloom Beth Gibbons tumbles over their lead single like she's in a dark cellar with no sunlight. No sunlight at all.. LISTEN HERE
37: Gabriella Cilmi-Swet About Me//
Australia's less nasty, less haired version of Am,y Winehouse gets her weave on with a warning to boys that there's nothing sweet about her-despite the fact that she looks like an avid Hello Kitty merchandise collector. LISTEN HERE
38: Love Is All-Rumours//A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night
LISTEN HERE
39: Pivot=Pursue//O Soundtrack My Heart
.LISTEN HERE
40: Amadou & Mariam-Sabali//Welcome To Mali
.LISTEN HERE
41: All American Rejects-Gives ou Hell//When The World Comes Down
Tyson Ritter ditches and disses a girl with his messagl-don't mess with famous people. They will write Billboard hits about how much you suck.LISTEN HERE
42: Chairlift-Evident Utensil//Does You Inspire You?
The most common writing stationery gets its shine on from a pop outfit who can't tell whether they're really singing about a pencil or if there's a hidden metaphor hidden beneath.LISTEN HERE
43: Pussycat Dolls-When I Grow Up//Doll Domination
A failure of a solo album. A flop of a reality show. Reveling in their own shallowness, the girls, that is Nicole and some other women who look like men, grind and bump on the perfect anthem for all the shallow girls who want to be famous and like to post pictures up on their MySpace and spend everyday pretending that they're wanted just beause they have 10000000 'friends' on their friend list.
44: Ra Ra Riot-Ghost Under Rocks//The Rhumb Line
Although the music sometimes verges on sounding something close to 30 Seconds To Mars, Ra Ra Riot manage to march it and turn it into something Travis could be, if they never got their heads checked LISTEN HERE
45: Vivian Girls-Such A Joke//Vivian Girls
Laugh all you want, but once the drum beats drop and the guitars start pounding your eardrums, you realize that you miss The Vines' old good days and that they're the next best thing. And the joke is on you. LISTEN HERE
46: Jenny Lewis-Acid Tongue//Acid Tongue
Leaving Rilo Kiley and The Watson Twins behind for a second solo outing, Miss Lewis sheds her good girl image in favor for some nasty business. LISTEN HERE
47: Tilly And The Wall-Pot Kettle Black..//o
.LISTEN HERE
48: Drive By Argument-Sex Lines Are Expensive Comedy//Drive By Argument
.LISTEN HERE
49: Juana Molina-Un Dia//Un Dia
.LISTEN HERE
50: Little Jackie-The World Should Revolve Around Me//The Stoop
Imani Coppola's latest attempt at recapturing fame has her teaming with a boy toy and demanding that everyone panders to her preferences. Too bad the charts didn't bey her.LISTEN HERE 
51: Hercules & Love Affair-Blind//Hercules & Love Affair
Over pulsating throbbing disco Kylie would be proud to whine over, Hercules & Love Affair make like cabaret singers in a disco full of people looking for the one to be the one.
52: Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson-Sweetest Waste f Time//Rattlin' Bones
LISTEN HERE
53: Attic Lights-Walkie Talkie//Friday Night Lights
. LISTEN HERE
54: Antony & The Johnsons-Another World//Another World EP
LISTEN HERE
55: Beyonce-Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)// I Am...Sasha Fierce
Miss B flaunts her ring and her chops for drama and bombast on this bouncy married girl power anthem
.LISTEN HERE
56: Kanye West-Heartless/808s and Heartbreak
The biggest ego in the galaxy discovers it takes Auto Tune and some messy emotions to realize that he IS after all, human.
.LISTEN HERE
57: My Brightest Diamond-Ice And The Storm//A Thousand Shark's Teeth
.LISTEN HERE
58: Max Tundra-Will Get Fooled Again//Parallax Error Beheads You
.LISTEN HERE
59: Mogwai-BatCat//The Hawk Is Howling
.LISTEN HERE
60: Bloc Party-Mercury//Intimacy
.LISTEN HERE
61: Bon Iver-Skinny Love//For Emma, Forever Ago
.LISTEN HERE
62: be your own pet-Super Soaked//Get Awkward
Teenage punk darlings turn fizzy and get wet, speeding up the guitars to match Jemina Pearl’s heated yelps. They may be broken up now but it was great while it lasted.LISTEN HERE
63: Abe Vigoda-Skeleton//Skeleton
LISTEN HERE
64: Blitzen Trapper-Furr//Furr
.LISTEN HERE
65: Britney Spears-Womanizer//Circus
She’s not bald. The abs are toned again. And her annoyingly catchy song featuring a repetitive chorus in which the word “Womanizer” is repeated 9 times goes straight to number one. Britney;s back bitch!LISTEN HERE
66: Parenthetical Girls-Young Eucharists//Entanglement
.LISTEN HERE
67: Meiko-Boys With Girlfriends//Meiko
Sunny breathy guitar twanging lament about the problem with boys from a singer songwriter who could teach sloshy wannabe Colbie Caillait a thing or two-about singing and songwriting
.LISTEN HERE
68: Ashlee Simpson-Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)//Bittersweet World
Mrs. Wentz gets experimental with Gwen style weirdness and 80s Cyndie Lauper stutter pop. Surfaces with a dance song so hollow it’s fun. This earned her some credibility. Then she had a baby named Mowgli..LISTEN HERE
69: Counting Crows-You Can't Count On Me//Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
.LISTEN HERE
70: Jack White & Alicia Keys-Another Way To Die//OST Quantum Of Solace
Sure, the movie was aces ore terrible than Die Another Day, but that doesn’t stop the King of Weird garage Rock to build up a wall of noise even the queen of Piano Driven Power R&B can’t shout down.
71:Eliza Carthy-Two Tears//Dreams Of Breathing Underwater
LISTEN HERE
72: Kry-Murder
MySpace unknown makes like drugged up lauryn Hill high on revenge and strawberry weed, with a message-if she can't have him, no one can. LISTEN HERE
73: Duffy-Warwick Avenue//Rockferry
The best thing from Wales since….I don’t know-cries her heart out over simple subtle plucky Norah Jones-esque blues and soul
LISTEN HERE
74: Matthew Sweet-Burn Through Love//Sunshine Lies
.LISTEN HERE
75: Los Campesinos!-We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed//We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
.LISTEN HERE
76: Lykke Li-Dance Dance Dance/Youth Novels
Over what sounds like drumsticks clicking, the Jewel voiced Swede channels her inner Feist discovering that "she was a dancer all along" over see-sawing violins.LISTEN HERE
77: Brazilian Girls-Good Times//New York City
Imani Coppola's latest attempt at recapturing fame has her teaming with a boy toy and demanding that everyone panders to her preferences. Too bad the charts didn't bey her.LISTEN HERE
78: The Last Shadow Puppets-All My Mistakes Were Made For You//The Age Of Understatement
Alex Turner ditches his fellow monkeys and teams up with The Rascals’ Miles Kane to chalk up a storming ode to love.Love their ridiculously thick British accents and love their hair. Love their Travis-sounding guitar strumming and vocals. And when it comes to razor sharp observant lyrics, only Bob Dylan could light a candle to the Turner.
79:TV On The Radio-Halfway Home// Dear Science
LISTEN HERE
80: Aimee Mann-
Laugh all you want, but once the drum beats drop and the guitars start pounding your eardrums, you realize that you miss The Vines' old good days and that they're the next best thing. And the joke is on you. LISTEN HERE
81: TV On The Radio-Crying//Dear Science
LISTEN HERE
82: Grace Jones-Devil In My Life//Hurricane
Queen of sexual fierce gets contemplative, records the theme song for THe Weather Channel. .LISTEN HERE
83: Flying Lotus-Golden Diva//Los Angeles
When Steven Ellison produces, he serves his clients well. When he dons the Flying Lotus cape, he’s uninhibited and unhinged, especially in his sampling of electronic hooks. It’s like Alka-seltzer and cereal, “Golden Diva” thunders on. You can’t understand what’s going on, but you know it’s remarkable.
84:Cats In Paris-Foxes//Courtcase 2000
They're not cats. They're not from France. But they make great unpredictable gleaming crackling pop-tronica. LISTEN HERE
85:Katy Perry-Hot N Cold//One Of The Boys
Bloggers' staple and the success breakout story of the year kisses girls, thinks you're so gay, and here on this Cher inspired power pop cherry, gets all hot..and cold. LISTEN HERE
86: Sonya Kitchell-Soldier's Lament//This Storm
LISTEN HERE
87: Metro Station-Shake It//Metro Station
Proof that being related to Miley Cyrus doesn't always mean you have to put out crappy undanceable music.LISTEN HERE
88:Hot Chip-Ready For The Floor//Made In The Dark LISTEN HERE
89:Keane-Spiraling//Perfect Symmetry
Who knew Tom Chaplin had dancing shoes, a glitter ball, and a fetish for new wave over piano hiding in his closet? LISTEN HERE
90: Fleet Foxes-White Winter Hymnal//Fleet Foxes
Beautifully sung by Robin Pecknold. Beautifully strung along by the band from Seattle. Beautifully arranged. Never mind that the lyrics are dark and a bit seething. This song is just beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Like you’re stranded on a glacier on a mountain in Alaska. It’s bleak, but everything, the scenery, the soundscape is just so…beautiful
91:Dido-Grafton Street//Safe Trip Home
Brian Eno carves out some spare tribal beats and his trademark orchestral backdrop to help Dido serenade her deceased father with a six minute shrine featuring...a recorder solo. LISTEN HERE
92:My Morning Jacket-I'm Amazed//Evil Urges
. LISTEN HERE
93: Coldplay-Viva La Vida//Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Appl'es father may or may not have copped this from Satriani for the best Coldplay track since "Yellow" but no one can deny he sings his "I Am The Greatest" vocals better than Satriani ever could. LISTEN HERE
94: Juliana Hatfield-My Baby...//How To Walk Away
Blake Babies' old but still good Juliana Hatfield gets infected with the blues and twangs along to an ode to...les enfants? .LISTEN HERE
95:High Places-The Storm//The Storm
LISTEN HERE
96:Marnie Stem-Prime//This Is It & I Am It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That
Featuring the best cheerleading chant of 2008 and an ADD affected pop sprite spitting it. LISTEN HERE
97: will.i.am-It's A New Day//Songs About Girls
The Black Eyed Pea tones down the clumsy lines for some celebration. The message? Obama is here. Have no fear. LISTEN HERE
98: The Ting Tings-Shut Up And Let Me Go//We Started Nothing
Britain's noisiest new duo have a seizure and Katie White gets all pouty and pretty about a break up. Check the Matrix brain drain music video. LISTEN HERE
99:Cold War Kids-Mexican Dog//Loyalty To Loyalty
The opening note fools you into thinking that they have produced another "Hang Me Up To Dry", but then as Nathan Willet injects his signature yelping with more snark and the music switches between a lost James Bond theme and a piano paddled strut, you realize "Mexican Dog" is a whole new animal. LISTEN HERE
100:Lady Gaga feat. Colbie O-Donnis & Akon-Just Dance//The Fame
A love song to her own sluttiness and shallowness, Lady Gaga teams up with teen humper Akon for this club banger, glorifying the moment when you're so drunk you've lost your phone, you're turning your shirt inside out, and you don't remember what club you're in. LISTEN HERE
101: Madonna-Miles Away//Hard Candy
In 2008 Madge returned with Timbaland/Lake in tow and the sour Hard Candy. As cool as Timbaland's so called futuristic soundscapes were on the likes of Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, they were as complimentary with Madonna as grape jelly and caviar. This track however showed Madonna's heart peeking through its hard cold cage to find an insecure Madonna tried of her long distance relationship. The fact that she split with Guy Ritchie the Bitchie (I couldn't help it) only makes this more genuine.
102:The Faint-The Geeks Were Right//
Good Charlotte tried to go the dance route on their last album, but their inability to envelop whatever cool factor they had saw them punt out another poor selling album full of flops. But The Faint show them how to do it right, accompanied by a dizzy nauseating music video not designed for schizophrenics.
LISTEN HERE
103:Sigur Ros-Gobbledigook//
The two best things from Iceland are Bjork and Sigur Ros. And one of them released a great album this year. While it's not a blatant attempt at mainstream success, the song comes pretty close with its 3 minute radio ready length to the bouncy melody, Sigur Ros have never sounded more radio friendly (albeit in another language) and they're all the better for it. Next up, an ad campaign with Nivea. LISTEN HERE
hazim and the new asymptotes
Posts
