Camiele: A Life in Music

2006:

Bold and Beautiful (Vikter Duplaix), Donuts (J Dilla)
I just couldn’t leave Vikter’s album off the list. Again, sensual, free, spirit shifting music.

There actually are no words to describe how powerful J Dilla’s final album actually was when I first heard it [1]. Easily one of the most incredible works of auditory art that it’s ever been my pleasure to experience.

2007:

Play with the Changes (4Hero)
This group of house veterans are beyond my comprehension. Every time I think they can’t get any better, they go and prove me so wrong. They take their collection of beats and breaks and create some incredibly smooth R&B that’s just to die for. Plus their rendition of one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs — Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) — is just pure class [1].

2008:

Seeing Sounds (N.E.R.D.), Niña de Fuego (Concha Buika), The Dreamer (José James)
There wasn’t much in the way of incredible happening musically after 1998 for me. However, there were a few revelations this year. First, N.E.R.D. Seeing Sounds is just a monster of an album. Lead singer and songwriter Pharell’s understanding of music informs the overt abstractness of the album’s title.

Okay, whatever I thought I knew about music was completely turned inside out when I heard Buika sing for the first time. From the moment I heard the first notes of strained blues of La Falsa Moneda, I was hers for all eternity [MV]. José James is a breath of fresh air for not only jazz, but music as a concept. His technique is grand and his voice is like velvet: rough in all the right places [1].

2009:

A Strange Arrangement (Mayer Hawthrone)
I have to admit, I was hard-pressed to find an album that was actually any good in 2009, but lo and behold… Mayer Hawthrone. He has a sound unbelievably reminiscent of the sweetness of 60s doo-wop while still maintaining an edge that’s distinctly new school. His songs pay homage to greats like Curtis Mayfield and the writing triumvurate of Motown’s Holland-Dozier-Holland. But he also draws inspiration from some of the best and most profound in hip-hop: cue J Dilla cameo. His voice is pure and simple. He doesn’t try to bring soul to the sound, the sound informs his soul. Gorgeous piece of work, this.

2010:

Causers of This (Toro y Moi)
This man is just genius personified. His work goes beyond anything that has been released in the last three or four years. Causers of This inspires me in the same way Donuts does: it’s fresh, new, and completely mind blasting. Plus, my brother knew him at uni — who says nepotism is dead?

2011:

Stone Rollin’ (Raphael Saadiq), In Heaven (JYJ)
I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t anything worth my attention last year. Raphael Saadiq… sigh. What are you doing to me? His sound is so pure, so raw. Everything about this album is just unbelievably potent. There’s really nothing I can say that I haven’t said before [1].

I mean, what can I say? This is actually the first (commercial) pop album since 2005 that I’ve heard that is almost completely perfect. I have to say, whatever your thoughts on Kpop or Korean artists in general, JYJ have set the bar pretty high vocally and composition-wise for any idol trying to shed its baby fat. Everyone here knows I’m biased towards JYJ as far as the whole DBSK debacle; however, I can’t deny the precision of the vocals and the audacity of some of the songwriting. Barring a few tracks, this album is really just a gorgeous piece of work.

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Well, that’s my list. I actually know that there are TONS of albums that I didn’t include. But, truthfully, these are the albums that made the biggest impact — and that weren’t already taken (yeah, I’m talkin’ to you Juan, Julyssa, and Amy… so~ much stank eye right now). As you can see, the 90s and early 2000s were just chock-full of auditory goodness. I hope you find some of your favorites on my list as well. Cheers!