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2008's Best Black Music Albums & Tracks ("Nu Soul @ RadioIO.com Midterm Report Card /Buying Guide")These rankings are also posted on www.soul-patrol.com and www.radioio.com as well as other places around the internet. Feel free to repost them wherever you hang out at online. I really do hate making lists. That's because they have a beginning, a middle and an end. Which means that something is going to get left off, and no doubt I have left something out. At any rate I have compiled a list of what I think are the very best ALBUMS (listed in rank order) and SONGS (listed in alphabetical order) released thus far in 2008. While I realize that these types of lists are usually compiled at the end of the year, I figured, why wait. Yall need some fresh new music to listen to during this "summer of our discontent." If you are thinking about buying any of these, rest assured that you can buy them "sight unheard", they are ALL wicked, jazzy, funky, soulful, rockin joints that it is my extreme pleasure to turn you on to. This is a great year so far for Black music (Soul, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Rap & Rock n' Roll), so even though it's a "summer of discontent". We as music lovers have quite a bit to smile about, thus far in 2008. NEW RELEASES (A Playlist For You): This has been an amazing year for Black music, or as Crosby, Stills & Nash might say; "there's something happening here." And what's happening here is a VERY good thing in my opinion. Perhaps it is the impact of Amy Winehouse winning 5 Grammy Awards last year, employing what some critics might refer to as the "dated musical style of 1960's R&B?" Or perhaps as a result of the overall mood of the country, facing a multiple series of seeming insurmountable national/international crisis, looking backwards in order to achieve comfort? Or maybe we just have more artists who are simply tired of farting around, trying to create a "new sound", have come to the stunning realization that there isn't anything wrong with the "old sound?" Of the 25 new releases on this list (IN RANK ORDER), 16 of them could be described as being "retro" or even "dated" by some people. As you can see from the list, this trend crosses all Black music genres from Jazz, to Blues, to Rap, to Rock n' Roll, to Soul, to Funk and even Doo Wop, as well as demographic sectors, such as age & race. And if you think that this is all just the conjecture of a "nostalgic old fart sitting behind a computer in New Jersey", you would be quite wrong in that assessment. The songs from these albums are getting major airplay on internet/satellite radio channels and in some cases have even crossed over to terrestrial radio. So it's really more than even a "trend", dare I say, it has evolved past that point and become a "movement." 1. Global Noize - "Global Noize " TOP SONGS: I know that some of you out there are looking at this list and thinking; "that's all well and good, but many people don't really buy or listen to albums anymore, some people don't even own CD players anymore, they buy/listen to individual songs." Well that may or may not be true, however it's an idea that's well worth exploring. With that notion in mind here is a playlist for your consideration (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER). This list also includes a few reissues. Go to your favorite mp3 download site and "obtain by any means necessary" these new releases for a great summer of compelling Black music listening. Or if the economy's got you down and your broke, slide on over to Nu Soul @ RadioIO.com, where you can listen to most of these songs in the mix (or will soon be): 1. Angel - "One More Heartache" REISSUES: 1. Miles Davis - "The Complete On The Corner Sessions" ---------------------------------------- |
